Green Hill University
by Capt. Ressentiment
Summary: When Sonic signed up for some old fashioned Home Economics course, he expected to have it easy. When Shadow signed up for the same class, he expected to have some peace of mind. Looks like neither of them got what they were looking for. How are they going to pass when they can barely survive one class together? (Sonadow/College AU/started as a joke no we can't stop/Mirrored on Ao3)
1. Chapter 1

**Sonic**

Sonic raced across the south lawn of Green Hill University, Red Bull in hand. Barely a week into the semester and he was already running late to everything, as per usual. It didn't help that his next class-home ec.-was literally across campus from his dorm. He checked the time on his phone as the humanities building finally came into view-only ten minutes late, not bad.

Sonic's feet finally slowed as he burst through the front door. He wandered through the maze of halls, trying to remember the room number on the schedule that he had barely glanced at since registering. He hadn't planned on going to college, really, but the university had offered him a track scholarship and Tails had almost begged him to come to Green Hill with him, not wanting to be alone in college at the age of 13. Sonic could never refuse Tails anything, so he relented, filling his schedule with easy-sounding gen-ed courses and hoping to just coast by until he was forced to choose a major. What he was really here for, anyway, was track. Green Hill's track team was the best in the region. Past members had held most of their records for almost a decade-fastest 100m dash, fastest laps, most matches won in a single season-and Sonic wanted to break all of them.

After giving up and pulling out the schedule on his phone, Sonic finally found the classroom-105. He pulled open the door, the creaking interrupting the haggard-looking professor in the middle of his lecture.

He turned towards the source of the noise. "Oh, nice of you to finally join us, Sonic," he droned, voice dripping with dry sarcasm.

Sonic winced sheepishly in lieu of a response. Now probably wasn't the best time for one of his usual quips. Ducking into the room, he quickly scanned the room for a place to sit. The small ancient looking classroom was a kind of kitchen-class hybrid, with one side presumably for the home and the other for the ec. Almost every seat was full.

Only a lone desk in the back of the classroom remained empty. Without thinking twice, Sonic strode towards it. He plopped down unceremoniously into the stiff plastic chair, sparing a passing glance at the kid beside him. He looked older than Sonic—dark red eyes and black fur. His arms were crossed tightly at his chest and his lips were turned downward into a seemingly-permanent frown. His dark quills were slicked back, sharp streaks of red running through them, and thick gold bracelets encircled his wrists.

Sonic leaned over to him as the teacher continued, offering the gloomy boy his biggest smile. "Hey," he whispered, "I'm Sonic."

He offered nothing but a side-eye and a sneer in response.

Sonic didn't take the hint. "So what have I missed?"

The brooding hedgehog broke the icy silence with a biting voice. "Please. Don't talk to me, kid."

Sonic felt the venom in his glare. He blinked, startled, and sat back in his chair. He tried to turn his attention back to the professor's droning lecture, something about food prep or family care. But it all turned to white noise as his mind wandered to his next track meet—how he could improve, whether he should replace his lucky Soap shoes, how hard he should train before the next meet.

Eventually, the rustle of backpacks being gathered and everyone leaving in a mass exodus startled Sonic out of his daydreams. He snatched up his half-empty Red Bull and turned towards the mysterious boy beside him. Maybe now that class was over he would respond with more than an icy stare.

But he hurried off before Sonic could say a word, leaving him open-mouthed and stupefied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Shadow**

Shadow skulked across campus towards the library, hands in his pockets. Home ec was his last class, and he had no further obligations for the day. He'd prefer to spend the rest of it in peace. He was entering his 7th semester, a senior. Yet he still wasn't used to the noisy influx of freshmen that came each fall. Worse yet, being stuck in a gen-ed course with mostly teenagers was sure to be a headache.

Even though he was a Biochem/Molecular Biology major, Shadow was still required to take a few General Education courses to graduate. He had thought he'd satisfied all those inane requirements already, but it seemed he'd have to waste more of his time and money on an antiquated Responsible Living course.

Why universities required students, who just wanted to get on with their own already time consuming careers, to waste a whole semester learning how to bake cookies or do laundry, he'd never understand. And honestly, a college level Family Consumer Science course? In this day and age? How passé.

He found his usual spot at the back of the GHU library, among all the dusty and forgotten academic journals. Not too many students found their way back here, save the occasional giggling couples eager to see what they could get away with.

Figuring he'd get a head start on the semester's work, he pulled out his notebook and Organic Chemistry textbook, and started taking notes. For the 7th semester in a row, he had scheduled a hefty 18 hour course load, so he figured it would behove him to get ahead where he could.

Shadow didn't have too many friends at school, so his free time was dedicated to his undergraduate degree. To him, a university was a place of higher knowledge, and had no room for trust-fund babies who were satisfied with coasting on the average and partying their semesters away.

He hated hearing freshmen celebrate their own lack of direction. Seeing a fair share of them either choosing a basic business degree they'd never really use or just dropping out a few weeks in. That utter lack of responsibility for their own life annoyed him.

A buzz came from his backpack, distracting him from his work. It was a message from Rouge, a long time friend of his.

" _Heya shadow, wanna get a drink tonight_? _? It's friday and we should celebrate your last year!_?❤️"

Rouge was always looking for some excuse to go out.

" _Not really my idea of celebrating. Find another wingman or go it solo"_

She knew that Shadow was the kind of person to lock himself away until finals, and wasn't about to let that happen.

" _Nope, I'm not nearly sad or desperate enough to drink by myself, hon! (at least not yet)_

 _Besides, drinks on me! I'll be swinging by your place at 8, so don't keep a girl waiting!"_

Shadow let out a deep, heavy sigh. Rouge has always been there for him, through the bad times and the worse. Even if he couldn't express it properly, It meant the world to him. But sometimes her "friendly" pushes for him to step out of his comfort zone just made him want to retreat further in.

". _..1 hour, and no more, alright?"_

" _Cross my heart! See you then! And maybe wear something a little more pleasant than a scowl tonight_ ?"

Carefree and bitingly honest as ever. Rouge had opted to skip out on university; said that sitting in a stuffy classroom listening to some asshole was no way to learn, so why pay them to waste her time? Said that learning came best from experience. Honestly, she had enough natural wit and charm to take her anywhere.

Shadow had no hope of being able to concentrate on his work now; time to prepare for social interaction instead. Not really his strong suit. Packing up for the afternoon, the gloomy hedgehog headed for his motorcycle, and made his way home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sonic**

Tails was already hunched over his desk when Sonic arrived back at their dorm room. The kid had rocketed through school, passing both middle school and high school years before anyone thought possible. When he had applied to GHU last year at the tender age of twelve, the admissions department had almost laughed him away, but how could they refuse entry to Emerald Hill's token boy genius? He was basically a local celebrity at this point, dabbling in building and inventing, showing them off to whoever would listen. Hell, the kid already had an internship lined up with a local IT company.

Most people envied Tails-his smarts, his ambition-but Sonic had been his closest friend since childhood, and he saw past the boy genius schtick. Tails was, after all, still just a kid-a kid who liked to laugh, play around and make dumb jokes. He didn't need another person fawning over his intelligence-he needed a friend, and Sonic was there. "You're stuck with me now," Sonic joked once, "couldn't get rid of me if you tried." Tails' laugh and beaming grin afterwards was one of Sonic's favorite memories.

Tails turned from his impossibly-thick engineering textbook as their creaky front door swung shut. "Oh, hey Sonic," he greeted with a smile before going back to his reading. "How was class?" he asked without looking up.

Sonic let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Well, I was late to almost half of them. But only by ten minutes this time!" He said the last part as if it was a major accomplishment.

Tails gave him a knowing look. "Well, maybe you wouldn't have been late if you and Knuckles hadn't stayed up playing 'Tomatopotamus 6: The Next Generation,' which is objectively the worst of the Tomatopotamus series."

Sonic let out a gasp, putting a hand to his chest in mock-offense. "How dare you. Tomatopotamus 6 is a classic!"

Tails sighed. They've had this argument almost weekly for the past two years. "It's not even finished! The game glitches out until it's basically unplayable! And the plot-utter nonsense. Why did they feel the need to give Tomatopotamus a _human_ girlfriend?"

"But in the end, it was all just a dream, Tails-that's the genius of it! They completely shatter your expectations and flip the script!"

Tails deadpanned. "You're wrong, but okay."

Sonic pouted. "You just don't see the beauty that is Tomatopotamus. Knuckles would defend me."

"Knuckles always defends you on this. He has terrible taste too."

On cue, Sonic's phone dinged from his bedside table. He used it as an excuse to forfeit this never-ending debate and checked the notification-a text from Knuckles.

" _Hey, bro. I heard about this new bar down in Station Square. Looks pretty sweet. Wanna come?"_

Sonic and Tails had met Knuckles in high school—a junior when Sonic was a freshman—and the three became fast friends. They were always seen together, even when Knuckles had graduated, and many made the cliché joke that they were attached at the hip. And, honestly, they might as well be.

Sonic smiled as he tapped out a text.

" _there's tons of bars around town. what makes this one so great?"_

There was barely a pause before Knuckles replied. " _They have pretty great chili dogs."_

" _darn, my one true weakness! okay, I'm there."_

"Sweet. Pick you up in a couple hours."

Sonic turned back to Tails, who already had his nose buried back in his textbooks. "Hey, me and Knuckles are going to a hang out at a bar in Station Square. Wanna come with?"

Tails winced, hesitant. "Normally, I'd say yes, but I really don't wanna fall behind on my homework."

"Tails, you've never been behind on homework in your life! You do assignments months before they're due. C'mon, have a little fun once in a while."

Tails was quiet for a moment, considering.

Sonic pouted. "C'mooooonnn, Tails." When Tails said nothing, Sonic resorted to pleading. "Please. Please. Please. Please," he repeated, punctuating each "please" with a poke to Tails' face.

Tails huffed and playfully swatted Sonic's hand away. "Alright, Sonic, you win. I'll come with you." Tails tried his best to look annoyed, but his façade quickly cracked and he broke into a smile.

This was a familiar routine—Sonic would want to go out, Tails would refuse, and Sonic would pester him until Tails finally relented. They balanced each other out—Tails made Sonic slow down and Sonic reminded Tails not to let his life slip by so quickly

A text from Knuckles broke the silence; Tails and Sonic headed out the door.

In a flash of conversation and banter, they arrived at the Dry Lagoon. It was a cozy, dimly-lit place with dark wood furniture and chairs in various shades of forest green. Tall stools sat around the bar and a live band played on the small stage in the corner. Sonic glanced at the name on the pulsing bass drum—Crush 40. Must be some local band.

It was packed. It seemed everyone at GHU had heard about this place. Between the band's mediocre rock music and noise of conversation, the place was almost vibrating with sound.

Sonic leaned over to Knuckles. "So, where are those chili dogs you were telling me about?"

Knuckles threw his head back in a laugh. "Hang on, I'll go order you one. You babysit Tails."

Tails let out an offended "hey!" but Knuckles was already swallowed by the crowd.

"C'mon, Tails, let's go find a table or something," Sonic said, jerking his head towards the sea of tables Tetris'd into the bar.

Sonic, grabbing his hand, led a pouting Tails through the mass of people, quickly slipping through the gaps between bodies, scanning the place for an empty seat.

Finally, his eyes landed on a small, out-of-the-way booth, blessedly unoccupied. As soon as he saw it, though, two figures slid into the cushy seats—a curvy bat girl with an outfit that left little to the imagination and a sullen looking black and red hedgehog who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Sonic stopped. Was that—

"What're you lookin' at?" Knuckles' voice suddenly asked from behind him, almost making Sonic jump.

Knuckles followed his gaze as he handed Sonic his chili dog.

"Well, we almost got a table, but those two beat us to it." Sonic, obviously upset at losing his race for the booth, pouted as he went for a bite of his precious chili dog.

"Huh, I think I know that guy," Knuckles said, glancing towards the moody hedgehog who had stolen Sonic's booth. "That's Shadow. I had some college lit class with him last year. Never said much, but I think he's a medical student or somethin'. He seems really dedicated to that whole edge and mysterious attitude," Knuckles punctuated that last point with a small eye roll. "I dunno, he always struck me as the asshole type." He turned to Sonic. "Do you know him?"

Sonic, meeting Shadows sullen eyes, took a bite of his chili dog in lieu of a response.


	4. Chapter 4

**Shadow**

"Yoo hoo, Shadow! It's Friday night and about time we set this bitch off! Now get down here!"

Rouge, with zero regard for anyone in Shadow's apartment complex, hollered for him at about 5 till 8. For one so liberal with her life, she was always surprisingly punctual.

Shadow, doing his best to prepare, had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning his apartment, rearranging his living room, occasionally watching television or working on crochet, doing his damndest to quell his anxiety. He was less the going out type and more the burrowing deeper into his bed type.

Rouge had told him to try and look nice tonight, but for him that equated to brushing his quills and putting on a simple grey t-shirt and one of his nicer sweat jackets. He didn't own too many clothes, and especially none bright enough to stand out.

Shadow assessed himself once more before heading out. Sometimes he considered trying a little harder to look nice, but it seemed a waste to him. He was a quiet, dower guy, and knew it. If he tried any harder, he'd stand out, and standing out meant getting people's attention. And attention meant interaction, and interaction meant-

"Shadow! Are you rearranging your whole fucking house again? Get out here or so help me, I'll rearrange your face!"

Always so direct. It helped.

He stepped out into the warm evening air, and locked his apartment. Rouge was leaning against her car, dressed in attire that let everyone know she ruled this town, and more importantly, that she knew it. Giving Shadow a light smile that only just reached her eyes, Rouge beckoned him into a hug.

"Oh hon, we do not see each other enough! How's prison?"

"You know, not everyone can fly through life as easily as you do. Some people need higher education to reach their goals," Shadow said in a semi-serious tone.

"Yes yes, I'm aware most aren't on my level, some people need the help," she scoffed in an overly posh tone. Shadow couldn't help crack a small smile at this.

They got into her car that Shadow knew had to cost more than his tuition for the past 4 years; maybe even double. Rouge was right; it had been an awful long time since they had last actually hung out.

About a year ago, Rouge had evidently been promoted to a position with a much higher pay grade and much larger time investment. She rarely had a chance to catch her breath. Rouge, however, was nothing if not flexibly meticulous. Bullshit was something she had no time for, and it helped her in attaining her goals. In a way, Shadow envied that amount of sheer charisma and confidence she had. " _Honey, I promise you, confidence isn't something a person is just born with. Sometimes you gotta fake it until even you believe it."_ That's what she had told him when he questioned her - he'd never truly been able to wrap his head around it.

They were now cruising their way toward Station Square, the city glow just off in the distance.

"Soooo, senior year just started for you, hmm? Seeing the finish line yet?"

"Hmph, hardly. I may be finishing up the undergraduate part of my degree, but I still have years of med school, more Bio-chem and advanced mathematics courses. Honestly, I'm only just now getting to the 'fun stuff'," he said with exaggerated air quotes.

"Wow, how exciting," Rouge said, yawning in semi-fake boredom.

"Well... sometimes you need to sacrifice what's fun, for the sake of others."

"Honey, I do plenty for the 'sake of others,' and have a blast doing it." She almost sang the words.

"Will you ever be able to tell me what it is you do, exactly? With how secretive you are I'm inclined to think you're either some government assassin or a really well paid dominatrix."

"Ooh, so close, but no cigar. A girl's gotta have some secrets. Though I will say, assassin-dom would be right up my alley..." She gave the idea a look of genuine consideration.

"At least it'd be an honest living," Shadow said in a dry yet slightly sarcastic tone.

"Ya know, your skills would probably come in handy where I work, actually. We employ many doctors for a wide range of circumstances." Rouge cast a side glance his way.

"... Are you... actually some kind of government agent?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and find out for yourself. Just let me know if you ever need a job; I've got your back."

"... I'll still pretend your a dom," Shadow said in a cold voice.

Rouge laughed. "Who says I'm not? I could make you into the greatest dominator in all of Mobius! Though, you strike me more as the submissive typ-"

"Not to digress from this lovely conversation, but where exactly are we heading?" Shadow abruptly steered the conversation before it had a chance to derail into the personal. They had reached Station Square, and were now navigating its bright and bustling nightlife.

"Aw, you are just too cute when you blush! I miss teasing you." Rouge dabbed away a tear so as to not smear her make-up. "There's a new bar that just opened up here called The Dry Lagoon. It sounded like a nice, chill place to grab a quiet drink between friends."

"Here's hoping. The last thing I want right now is any unsolicited social interactions with a bunch of tipsy assholes." Shadow spat the words out, slumping further into his seat.

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss, you won't meet anyone with that attitude," she said, patting his head in a somewhat condescending, yet endearing way.

"Rouge, we've been over this, you know I'm not the dating type. There's just no time for it anyway," is what he said.

What he meant was he didn't want to bother. Dating… meant interaction. Having to put yourself out there for someone else to judge. Or being used by someone looking to get off on their own self satisfaction. He'd rather just stick to the whole loner schtick he had going: less anxiety and less pain at the end of the day.

"Shadow, you can not keep this up. You act like you're okay being the lone wolf type, but I've known you too long for that shitty excuse to work on me," Rouge coldly called Shadow out. He hated when she did that.

"Ugh, Rouge-"

"Ooh, there it is! I hope they have valet parking," she said, stopping this potentially heated conversation in its tracks.

* * *

Noise. Pure, eardrum shattering, noise.

"A chill and quiet drink, hmm?" Shadow practically shouted this, staring daggers at the sea of twenty-somethings spilling out of the bar. Everyone was shouting, or singing along to whatever band was playing on the stage. So many people, squished together like sardines.

This sucks. Everything that Shadow feared had manifested itself. In the most obnoxious way.

"You know. Coming to a bar, newly opened, on a Friday night… might have been bad planning on my part," Rouge said matter of factly. Still, she was completely unfazed. She thrived off of crowds. Shadow, on the other hand, wilted.

"Please, can we just go somewhere else?"

"Nope. I just paid for the valet, and I intend to get my money's worth!" she shouted toward Shadow, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him into the deep end.

Shadow kept his head ducked down. Crowds were always annoying, yet Rouge navigated them like a tank pushing through enemy lines.

It reeked of sweat and liquor, the noise bounded off each wall, hitting Shadow squarely in the head. It was horrendous. Rouge had better buy him something strong if he was even going to consider staying here another minute.

"Ah ha! Target located!" Rouge kicked into high gear, dead set on an empty booth at the back of the club. It seemed a little quieter over there, at least less densely packed with people.

Practically falling into the booth, Shadow and Rouge scooched into opposite sides of an oversized booth. It was probably shitty of the two of them to sit in a booth clearly meant for larger parties, but neither of them could even begin to care.

"Woo-hoo, what a rush! Man, I miss my party days," Rouge said with an air of nostalgic enthusiasm.

"Miss them? Did they leave?" Shadow squished himself as deep as he could into the booth, hoping to escape the thick club atmosphere.

"Eh, work gets in the way. Now I only have the odd weekend to myself," she sighed in mock despair.

"Such a tragedy," he replied dryly."Well, you've got 40 more minutes of my time. Use them wisely."

"Oh, don't be like that! I know you hate it here, but look on the bright side. I'm buying!"

"Then please, get me something strong. Inebriated Shadow might actually tolerate this place if you hurry," he said with a wince; he was starting to get a migraine.

"That's the spirit! BRB."

With an enthusiastic little jump, she was off. No doubt she'd flirt with some wide-eyed suckers on the way. Without fail, she could always end up with at least 5 free drinks in a night, without even trying.

With a moment to himself, Shadow let out a deep, heavy sigh. He propped up his head on his hand, and looked on at the scene before him. What seemed like hundreds of people, roughly his age or younger, were either dancing to the band performing or shouting at their friends over drinks. The band was playing some song about learning from your past mistakes, and living on for 'what if's'? Pretty sloppy in the writing department, but certainly catchy.

He never really got the whole night club scene. Why would anyone willingly come here for fun? It felt like a place of sickening excess and vapid pleasures; nothing but shallow young people drinking away their insecurities and sorrows, trying to feel like they have some sense of meaning in their lives.

It felt like Hell.

Rouge returned, bursting with energy.

"Alright, I ordered you an Old Fashioned, and I have a dozen or so drinks that we can split headed my way. It's amazing what some folks will do for a little eye candy!" Such a dangerous woman. She could empty your wallet in a heartbeat, drain you dry, take you down the road of bankruptcy, and you'd still say it was worth it.

"So, back on topic - your love life." Rouge was back at it again, attempting to coax Shadow out of his shell.

"I'm not interested," Shadow said in a detached voice, looking off into the crowd.

"Shadow, I get that you're pretty devoted to your future and all that, we all bow before you, oh holy one," Rouge sarcastically bowed toward Shadow. He was unamused."And diligence is a good trait to have, to an extent. Even Maria would want you to take some time for yourself! You know, actually live your life!"

Maria. Shadow softened at her name. His sister was the reason for his doctoral pursuit. She was his purpose in life.

"Please, let's not get into this now. I'm too sober to be getting this sad."

"You're always sad. And that's why you should maybe break out a little more! Come on, let's give it a try. Anyone here catch your eye? "

"Rouge…"

"What even is your type? Is it maybe someone like... her?" Rouge said this pointing at a purple haired mongoose girl. Not unattractive, per say, but too...spunky for his liking.

"No, Rouge, I don't date. I don't even think I have a type," Shadow said in a sheepish tone, focusing his gaze on the table.

"Hmm...how about him?" she pointed then at a bigger crocodile guy sitting at the bar. Probably attractive to most, but still too…...much.

"Rouge, please just leave it be." Shadow was rubbing his temples in frustration, blushing in embarrassment.

"Ooh, now I don't know about you, but that one is definitely _my_ type!" She pointed out a group of three guys looking towards their booth. Rouge ever so sweetly waved them over.

"What are you-" he stopped mid sentence, looking where Rouge had pointed. There stood a red echidna, a yellow fox (who looked way too young to even be within 100 feet of this bar) and a blue hedgehog, eating a chili dog, with a dumbfounded look on his face. Staring right at Shadow.

God, that blue hedgehog again, of all places. He was that freshman asshole who kept showing up late to home ec. His name… escaped Shadow, and the last thing he needed tonight was to deal with some douchebag. Especially if he had to see him after this.

"Yoo hoo, why don't you boys come on over here and join us for a little while?" Rouge called them over, clearly missing Shadow's pleaful look.

"Rouge, I swear to god, I will walk home right now," Shadow harshly whispered, trying to avoid eye contact, and ready to vacate the booth.

"Too late honey, looks like they took the bait. Come on, play the field! Let's see what happens! Maybe we can get a little more than drinks tonight," Rouge said, a devilish twinkle in her eye.

Shadow, filled with dread, shrank even further into his side of the booth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sonic/Shadow**

Sonic took his time savoring his bite of chili dog—honestly, he'd had better. As the town's self-appointed connoisseur of chili dogs, he knew his stuff, and this was a subpar chili dog, at best. The chili was a bit heavy on the tomato and the hotdog itself was a bit overcooked. But even the worst chili dog was still pretty good, and Sonic never turned down free food.

Swallowing down another messy bite, Sonic turned to Knuckles. He was about to give him the awkward answer that no, he didn't know this 'Shadow' guy, as much as he had tried, when a call from the booth before them made them all turn their heads.

"Yoo hoo, why don't you boys come on over here and join us for a little while," called the bat Sonic had spotted earlier. She smirked as she caught their attention and threw them a wink with a perfectly-lined eye.

Sonic threw a glance at Knuckles, mouth agape, too quick to be enticed by any woman who would look his way. He had watched Knuckles fall for a string of pretty girls in high school, dating them—or trying to date them—all for about a week before moving on to the next thing that caught his eye. It seemed this friend of Shadow's was no different—she seemed to know _exactly_ how to use her body to her advantage, and Knuckles had fallen right into her trap.

Knuckles was smarter than most gave him credit for, but in this way he was as stereotypically immature as ever.

"I dunno, do you really wanna sit with them?" Tails questioned. He too knew Knuckles' weakness to painted lips and short skirts, and he did not want to endure another night of listening to Knuckles' attempts at flirting. If he could stop it before it started, he would. "You did just say you didn't like the guy."

"Hey now," Knuckles said, quickly backtracking, "I never said I didn't like him. I just said he was an asshole."

"Yeah, but isn't that the same—"

"And it wasn't him that invited us over. It was his...objectively-better looking friend, and it would be rude to ignore her." Knuckles paused, glancing around at the packed bar. "Besides, it doesn't seem like we have much of a choice here."

Tails looked between the two of them, silently begging Sonic to back him up, but, honestly, Knuckles was right—if they wanted to sit somewhere, this seemed to be their only option.

Sonic shrugged noncommittally. "Alright, sure. It's better than standing here all night."

Knuckles grinned, barely holding back a victorious fist pump, and smoothed down his spines before striding towards the booth. Sonic threw a sighing Tails an apologetic glance before following just behind.

The sullen-looking hedgehog—Shadow, Sonic reminded himself—seemed to be trying his best to become one with the darkness of his namesake as the three approached and slid onto the stiff cushion lining the seats. His friend, meanwhile, seemed to preen in the sight of the new company, leaning forward and tilting her head enticingly.

Knuckles took the opportunity to slide in beside her, leaving Sonic and Tails alone next to Shadow.

"Glad you decided to join us," she practically purred. "The name's Rouge. That ball of sunshine over there is Shadow." She tossed her head to where Shadow was staring down at the wood grain of the table, resolutely refusing to meet the eyes now turned on him. Her penetrating gaze drifted over the three newcomers, silently sizing up each of them. When she was satisfied with whatever she found, her honeyed voice spoke again. "And who might you boys be?"

Knuckles was quick to speak for the group. "These are my friends, Sonic and Tails," he said, jabbing a thumb towards each of them in turn. "And _I_ am Knuckles." He leaned in and gave his best smile, puffing out his chest in one of his signature 'ladycatcher' moves.

Rouge coolly ignored the obvious show for her attention in favor of turning towards the other two. "Sonic, huh?" She let her eyes linger on where Sonic was scarfing down the last of his chili dog. "Seems like you can suck down those sausages pretty fast. I'd love to see what else you can do with that mouth of yours." She curled her lips in a flirtatious smirk and chuckled; Sonic, practically choking, was stunned, turning beet red, coughing in an attempt to catch his breath.

Her gaze found Tails next and she gave him a sweet smile. "And aren't you the cutest thing? What are you, like 10?"

Tails frowned, flushing with embarrassment. "Thirteen," he said indignantly, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest, which was doing nothing to help his efforts to seem more mature.

Rouge laughed flicked her gaze back up to Sonic and Knuckles. "Don't worry, I'll try and keep myself PG for the kid." She winked mischievously at Tails, only making him sink lower into his seat.

Before she could turn her biting tongue on anyone else at the table, an overworked-looking bartender came over carrying a tray laden with drinks. "The gentleman at the bar told me to send these drinks over to, quote 'the thick bitch with the wings'," he droned. "Half the bar, actually, said something to the same effect."

Sonic's eyes widened— _half the bar?—_ but Rouge only widened her seductive grin, seemingly unfazed. "Perfect. Thank you so much, handsome. I'm just dying of thirst." She pulled out a wad of money from her chest and placed it in the bartender's free hand. "For you, sweetie. Treat yourself to something nice."

As soon as the drinks were placed on the table, Rouge smoothly slid one over to each of them, never letting a drop of liquor slosh over the edge. "Drink up, buttercups," she said immediately taking a big swig of some mysteriously dark drink.

Knuckles downed his shot in one go, a blatantly obvious attempt at impressing Rouge. She let it slide and appeased him with a pseudo-impressed look of approval.

Sonic eyed his drink dubiously. For as much as he prided himself on his cool, laid-back image, he actually wasn't a guy that drank that often, and he had no idea what Rouge put in front of him.

Rouge seemed to catch his hesitance immediately and pinned him with a look. "Aw, come on kid, don't be shy. I had to do a lot of flirting to get those drinks. It won't be that bad."

Suddenly, Shadow broke his vow of silence. "Rouge, stop. You don't need to scare the kids."

Blue eyes met red as Rouge threw Shadow a surprised look before quickly recovering her cool demeanor. "Oh, nice of you finally stop sulking, Shadow. Have you decided to join us in the land of the living?"

Shadow sneered in response.

"Anyway, I was just teasing. Learn to have a little fun."

Shadow's gaze only hardened.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Alright, spoilsport. Since I'm obviously doing something wrong, you entertain them." Stunned, Shadow opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, smiling mischievously. She had the upper hand once again. " _I'm_ gonna go and dance." She turned to Knuckles, offering her hand. "Care to join me?"

"Oh, hell yeah," Knuckles said, taking hold and following her through the crowd and onto the packed dance floor.

The silence she left behind was cold and Sonic didn't dare break it. He knew where trying that with Shadow would get him. So instead he opted for quietly swirling around whatever was inhabiting his glass, watching the dark liquid mix in a small whirlpool before becoming still again. Tails, looking more tired than uncomfortable, decided to go get himself a more age appropriate drink. "Well, I'm going to get some...water, or something."

And then, there were two.

Curious, Sonic took the smallest sip of his drink. He immediately wanted to spit it back up. The bitter flavor made his tongue curl and he tried to look for something, anything to chase away the taste.

He was so caught up in his disgust that he didn't notice Shadow's deep sigh until his annoyed voice sounded from beside him.

"Here," Shadow slid a glass of something red and fruity-looking over towards Sonic, "It's sweeter." Not about to question Shadow's sudden act of kindness, Sonic immediately gulped it down. He let out an audible sigh of relief as the sweet cherry flavor washed over his tongue, overpowering any lingering flavor from the previous drink.

Shadow looked down at his own drink and surprised Sonic for the third time that night by speaking again. "Sorry about Rouge. She's..."Shadow searched for the best way to put it, "...Intense. This isn't my first time being stuck with damage control." Taking a swig, Shadow continued to avoid Sonic's eyes, preferring to eye up his drink instead.

"Nah, it's okay, don't sweat it." Sonic tried awkwardly to keep him talking; he hated uncomfortable silences, and who knew if Shadow'd open up again. "You two seem to get along pretty well. How long have you-"

Shadow raised a hand in protest. "You don't have to fill the silence. I appreciate the effort, but I'd prefer to spend the rest of my evening..." Again, he paused, looking for a diplomatic response. "...in solitude."

"Oh." Sonic, put off by this, backed off. "That's fair."

They sat alone together, in a stiff silence… for approximately 30 seconds.

"Um, so, what was it I drank exactly? I don't really drink, but it tasted nice." Sonic, ever impatient, questioned the ever annoyed Shadow.

With a heavy sigh, "A cocktail. I don't know what it's called, but it looked like a Cosmopolitan." Again, he found better company in his glass. "If you don't drink, don't force yourself."

Sonic, ever optimistic, tried his hand at cracking Shadows tough exterior once more. "Oh, thanks! Ya know, I actually kinda liked that one. What are you drinking?"

Visibly defeated, Shadow relented. His drink had eased his headache some, and he figured it'd be easier to just humor the guy. "It's called an Old Fashioned."

"Huh, fitting," Sonic bluntly stated. Shadow cocked an eye at Sonic, finally looking at him, at least a little. With the most shit-eating of grins, Sonic leaned in on his hand, eager to hear Shadow's response.

"Hmph. And just how, may I ask, do you figure that?" Unamused, Shadow folded his arms in Sonic's direction.

"I dunno; you're all quiet, stoic and edgy looking. Plus you act like you're older than me, and you're willingly taking a home ec class. Pretty 'Old Fashioned,' if you ask me," Sonic shrugged.

"...You're bluntness would give Rouge a run for her money…" Shadow muttered.

"Well, life's too short to beat around the bush. Best to say what you really think, saves time in the long run," Sonic pointed out, sniffing out the drink he'd tried before. "Man, what even is this?"

"You don't have to humor me, Kid," Shadow started turning away, looking less annoyed, more guilty. "I'm fine being alone. Go chat up someone who can appreciate it. You're young. Do whatever it is young people do."

"Alright, first off, my name is Sonic, not kid," Sonic counted off with a light air of indignation, "Second, you're only like, what, a couple years older than me? And third, I'm not humoring you. I'm trying to get to know you! I mean, we have a class together. It'd be nice to have someone I can actually talk to."

Shadow gestured towards Sonic's friends—Tails at the bar, Knuckles on the dance floor attempting to keep Rouge's attention. "You seem to have a lot of people you could 'actually talk to'," he said dryly.

Sonic shrugged. "Well yeah, but right now I wanna talk to _you_."

Shadow, looking a little pained at this, nursed his drink. "Sonic, then?"

"And you're Shadow, right?"

Shadow balked. When had he ever told the kid his name?

Sonic laughed. "Rouge took the liberty of introducing you while you were sulking," he clarified. "But Knuckles actually told me who you were. You know him, right? He said you had a class together."

Shadow, slightly embarrassed at his lapse in memory, eyed the naive-looking echidna, red spines flopping as he attempted to bounce to the beat with some semblance of rhythm. He didn't recognize the guy, but he was sure he'd probably seen him somewhere. Shadow didn't make it a point to get to know his classmates.

Sonic, however, seemed to go out of his way to know everyone he could. He had the bright-eyed energy and friendliness of someone half his age. Shadow almost pitied the kid—life would break him down one of these days.

Sonic refused to let the conversation end there. "So what are you doing in a home ec class, anyway? Doesn't seem like your kind of...thing."

Shadow side-eyed him. "That's a bit judgemental. " Sonic winced at that. "It's just a gen-ed course I need to graduate. Trust me, I would rather be getting in more biochem courses."

Sonic noticed the chink in his armor and went right for it. "Oh, so you're a biochem major? That's rad! Honestly, all of that stuff just sails over my head. But Tails is wicked smart, I'm sure you guys could talk about that stuff for days."

Shadow bit back a groan. He had said too much and now he was trapped in this conversation. Desperately, he tried to turn the subject away from him. "And what, dare I ask, are you studying? College doesn't exactly seem like 'your kind of thing.'" He threw Sonic's own words right back at him.

For almost the first time that night, Sonic got quiet. The awkward silence only hung there for a moment before Sonic laughed and spoke again, like he hadn't missed a beat. "Honestly, you're not wrong! I didn't wanna go to college, but all my friends were going and the track team offered me a full ride, so here I am. Really, all I wanna do is run. I haven't even declared a major yet! I mean, why would I want to waste my time sitting in classes? Just slows me down."

Shadow had to restrain himself from punching Sonic. Throwing away a free education. Just to run around with his friends. He'd never understand how hard Shadow had worked to get here. How many decades he'd spend paying off the student loans for medical school.

Kids like Sonic were the exact reason he hated undergrads. At least in his masters program, people would actually be more focused and dedicated.

Emboldened by his drink, Shadow wasn't about to let this slide. "Let me get this straight. You are wasting university funding, doing as you please, taking classes you don't even need and wasting everyone's time, JUST so you can literally run in circles?"

Sonic hadn't expected this. Shadow, showing his first signs of emotion, looked visibly pissed at Sonic. "Hey, calm down man, it's not my fault I'm required to take 15 hours of useless courses just so I can do what I actually want to do!"

"But you don't actually _know_ what you want to do, do you? You're no different from half the kids here—coasting by, with no sense of obligation to actually improve or be responsible for your own future." Shadow knew he probably should have shut up at this point, but he had the courage of whiskey on his side and he was on a roll.

"Oh please, and you think you're better than me because _you've_ decided to waste _your_ own life studying molecules, or somethin'?" Sonic, whose laughably low tolerance gave out, was on the offensive. "Just because you're gonna be a doctor or whatever doesn't mean you can look down on me! You don't have to act all high and mighty; you may think you're above all these 'kids,' but you're as immature as the rest of us. Difference is, your just sitting here, pouting and brooding, just because we aren't like you, like some angsty teenager." Slurring at least half of his words, Sonic didn't look ready to give up.

"How dare you, comparing me to you degenerates, just because I'd rather focus on what's important to me? You have no idea what I've sacrificed. Have you ever even thought about anyone other than yourself?" At this point, Shadow was done with trying to hide his true feelings; he couldn't. "If you're going to be so puerile, then why don't you just do us all a favor and drop out?"

"Oh, fuck you dude, I KNEW you were the type of stuck up snob to just throw out big words to make yourself sound smarter," Sonic laughed, unable to contain how funny he found Shadows edge lord schtick.

"No, fuck you. It's not my fault your lexicon below that of a Speak & Spell, you obnoxious reprobate," Shadow spat out, infuriated by Sonics douchebaggery.

"Boys, boys, I enjoy the show, but please. Get a room."

Rouge, along with an out of breath Knuckles, had returned.

Unbeknownst to either hedgehog, in the heat of their argument, they had closed the space in between them.

Inches apart.

Their breath, grazing one another's cheek.

Shadow, clearly embarrassed backed up, turning away before anyone could see how much redder he'd become. Sonic, still in a giddy liquor fueled state, just fell over in rapturous laughter.

"Aw, don't be like that Shadow! It's not that often I get to see you actually emote," Rouge whined as she slid back into the booth. Shadow, trying to resume his silent reverie, didn't want to give Rouge the satisfaction of acknowledgement.

Knuckles, trying to catch his breath, noticed they were one party member less. "Where's Tails?"

Wiping away his tears, Sonic attempted to catch his giggles."Dunno; think he was going to get a drink for himself?"

"And you let Tails, the minor, go alone. In a packed bar. With all these strangers." Knuckles, who had quickly gone from flirt mode to mother hen mode, said this to Sonic in the most sobering tone.

"... Oh shit." Making a 180 from manic to terrified, Sonic bolted out of the booth to go searching for Tails.

"Well, I think that's our cue to leave, before they call security on us." Knuckles let out a noticeable sigh of regret. "Thanks Rouge, let's do this again sometime," He said as he handed her his number, scribbled on a bar napkin.

"Aww, so soon? I was just starting to have fun," she purred, grabbing the napkin seductively. "See you around, Knuxie," blowing a kiss his way.

With the doofiest of grins, Knuckles stumbled away after Sonic.

A moment of silence hung in the air as Rouge stared down Shadow who was lost in his empty glass. She was not about to let Shadow get away with his earlier display.

"Hmm, you know I think I've figured something out," she said in a declarative tone, grabbing ahold of one of the nearby blue cocktails.

"...What?" Shadow looked up some, but not enough to grant Rouge actual eye contact.

" 'Stuck up snob' and 'obnoxious reprobate' would make great pet names for the two of you." Rouge took a long drink of her cocktail, knowing it'd be her last of the night.

"I'm done." Shadow threw up his hands in frustration, and began his retreat."Times up."

"Hey, look on the bright side! You survived a night on the town! More or less, " Rouge called after him, knocking back one more drink for the road.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sonic**

 _Speed_. The world around him passed in a blur as Sonic pushed himself to go faster. The only things he could hear were his heaving breaths and the sound of his shoes against the track. This is what he loved about running—the rush. The energy. As soon as he shot off, his mind went quiet and his only focus was chasing the finish line. For a moment, nothing else mattered.

His feet.

The track.

The thrill.

The click of a timer broke through and Sonic slowed to a stop. He glanced behind him to the other panting runners, and felt a swell of pride. He had outrun them all.

As the runners heaved their lungs out, Sonic, taking a hearty swig from his water bottle, turned towards the track coach standing on the sidelines—a large purple and white cat who everyone seemed to just know as "Big."

Sonic had laughed, "C'mon, what's his _actual_ name?" The rest of the team had just shrugged. People had questioned the same thing before and had never gotten a straight answer—Big the cat was an enigma. A large, sandal-wearing enigma.

With his wide eyes and slow, bumbling speech, most assumed Big wasn't smart enough to pass the fifth grade, much less receive enough education to secure a faculty position at a semi-respected university. Sonic didn't mind the guy, though. He was always super nice, and if his coaching would lead the team to more wins, then that was all Sonic cared about.

"Good job, everybody," Big congratulated, clapping his gloved hands. "Your times are getting faster." Big paused, visibly thinking through his next sentence. "Now, let's—"

The sharp sound of a skateboard on a rail cut off Big's instructions before they began. Everyone's eyes went to the green bird grinding down the rail of the stairs to the stadium where the track was. Landing with a perfect kickflip, he caught his board in one hand while sliding up his tinted goggles with the other.

Piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd and his mouth curled up in a cocky smile. "What's up, fuckers," he said, pointing obnoxious finger guns towards the crowd.

Sonic rolled his eyes at the sight. _Jet the hawk._ Sonic had heard about this guy before he even came here. Only a sophomore, Jet already had a reputation for being the fastest one on the team, setting most of the recent records in the league. He was good—and he knew it. He walked around with an air of self-importance, always sporting a sickening grin.

He had given Sonic a patronizing grin as soon as they met. "Oh, how cute. Are you the new waterboy?"

Sonic wasn't one to back down when pushed. "Actually, I'm on the team," he said matter-of-factly. "And I'm on the fast track to being the star runner of this team."

Jet eyed his thin form, his old, worn Soap shoes. "Uh-huh," he'd drawled. He snapped his eyes back up to Sonic, ever-present smirk already spreading. "Good luck, kid. You'll have to beat me, first." He laughed in Sonic's face before turning on his heel and striding from the room, still chuckling.

If Sonic had hated this guy before, that only strengthened it. Sonic officially had a vendetta. He would shatter every record this guy had ever set, one by one.

"Jet, you're late," Big observed unhelpfully.

"Oh, good job, big guy. I'm surprised you know how to read a clock." Jet's voice was dripping with sarcastic astonishment, but any subtlety went over Big's head.

Big just smiled. "Well of course I can, Jet. When the big and the little hands high-five each other on the 12, that means you're late!"

Jet didn't dignify this with a response, kicking his skateboard over towards the bleachers and striding over towards the other runners, seemingly oblivious to the annoyed glances being thrown his way. He eyed Sonic as he stepped up, challenge flashing in his gaze.

Sonic's gaze hardened.

Big clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone, let's work on getting our mile times faster. Everybody in position!"

Sonic took his place at the starting line, Jet shoving his way in beside him, stretching his feathers in a showy display. Sonic did his best to tune him out, focusing on the heat of the sun and the feeling of his heart thudding in his chest.

Big fired the starting pistol and they were off.

Sonic moped in the locker room as he shoved his gear in his bag. Jet had beaten him again—but just barely. If Sonic hadn't stumbled on that last mile, he would've bypassed Jet before he could even blink.

Still, Jet used it as an opportunity to gloat about his victory, loudly espousing his garbage to anyone who would listen.

"Ha! A year and a half, and people still can't beat my records," he laughed. "Soon enough, I'm gonna be the fastest track star in the nation. After I graduate, I'll be an Olympic athlete. I already have recruiters scouting me out."

The people around him seemed in awe of Jet's proclamations of success, but Sonic only half-believed what he was saying. Jet spun wild stories all the time to make himself look cooler than he actually was.

Even still, Sonic felt the unease crawling into his mind. Even for all his false bravado, Jet seemed on a one-way track to success. With the glint in his eye and the smirk on his beak, anyone could tell Jet had had this planned from the beginning, following a carefully-laid-out plan that made his childhood daydreams a reality. He considered every possibility, every opportunity.

He had the world at his fingertips already. And here was Sonic.

Compared to Jet, Sonic had nothing—just a bunch of half-formed dreams and vague desires.

He remembered sitting in the school counsellors' office in middle school, fresh out of Emerald Hill's annual career assembly. "And Sonic, what do you want to be when you grow up," they would ask.

Sonic would always grin and perk up. "I wanna run!"

That answer would always get him a laugh and a pat on the head—until it didn't. "Yes, but what do you want to _do_? Who do you want to be, Sonic?"

Sonic had tilted his head at this. He knew he wanted to run—what else was there to consider? "Well, I guess I want to be the fastest runner alive," he had shot back with a laugh.

"That's not enough Sonic. You have to know where you're going. Life won't wait on you to decide."

Sonic had always waved that notion off. The future was unpredictable—what was the point in planning for it? Sonic operated on the belief that everything would eventually turn out okay. Why would he want to waste his life worrying about everything that could be?

He would rather focus on the now, on his friends, on laughter, on fun nights. On getting the most out of every single breath he took.

But as he heard Jet give another self-aggrandizing speech, he was forced to consider the possibility that the future wouldn't wait—couldn't wait—and everything would fall apart without him noticing.

Despite his snobbish attitude, Shadow's words got to him. It awoke something within him. Something small. Something… unsettling.

Sonic shook his head before these seeds of worry could grow into something more. This was a problem for another time. He shut the flimsy metal door of his locker, leaving Jet and his threatening laughter behind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shadow**

"Oooooh, I loooove it!"

Maria. The strongest kid, even the strongest person, Shadow has ever known.

She sat up in her hospital bed, strung up with IVs like a marionette. They said she had been improving. She almost got through her first week of high school. She…

"Shadow, you're always pushing yourself too much. Where did you find time to make this?"

Maria held up a delicately crocheted shawl, a gradient of sky to darker blues. In the face of anxiety, it helped to channel it into more productive outlets. Crochet, embroidery, cooking—honestly anything monotonous and tactile to slow his racing thoughts.

"Well, it's getting colder, so I thought it would do you some good. " Shadow gave a soft smile—the one reserved for these moments. For Maria.

"Well you thought right, they keep it as cold as a meat locker in here!" She shivered for effect.

"Oh, you poor thing," Shadow, in a sarcastically pouty tone, gingerly wrapped his arms around Maria, "Next thing you know, you'll be served up with a side of asparagus, and a nice merlot."

"Har har," she rolled her eyes, slightly shrugging him off. "Well, hopefully I taste better than I feel."

"Now, don't sell yourself short. Food or not, you'll always be an A1 sister to me."

"Aw, how… sweet?" They laughed a little, a jovial kind of laugh. Laughter helps cover up the uglier parts of reality. Amazingly, she rarely let it show. Never wanting to bring anyone down with her.

Reality always finds a way to crawl back out.

"So, how's school going? You haven't come home since the semester began. Remember, it's healthy to take a break every once in a while," she held up a finger, like a school teacher scolding her student.

Shadow sat down at the end of her bed. He didn't have the heart to tell her the _real_ reason why he hadn't gone home.

Terror. Taking a break meant stopping. Stopping meant losing ground, falling behind. Falling behind, failing, losing it, losing…

"Maria. I promise you, I'm fine. Two more semesters, and I can finally get started on grad-school. I can rest when I'm dead," he half-joked.

"And If you never rest, you'll be dead before me!"

Never really knew how to respond to those kinds of comments.

Life.

Death.

Such delicate subjects.

But how do you reply to someone who has already accepted their demise?

"Don't talk like that. I promised you, I would find a way to help you, no matter what."

"And I appreciate, more than anything, what you're doing for me. But sacrificing your life for a dead girl isn't a way to spend your life." There wasn't much sorrow in her voice. He hated that. Not that she had accepted it, just that she had to accept such a horrible fate at such a young age.

Yet he got to be free. Disgusting. Maria could see the pain on Shadows face, and grabbed his hand.

"Hey, I'm still here, ya know? And I'm lucky enough to have a brother and a grandfather worrying over me so. But, you've spent most of your life worrying about me. So please, let me worry over you a little, alright?"

A perfectly fine afternoon, once again ruined by the stench of death. Shadow would gladly digress if he could.

"Thank you. But you don't have to worry about me, okay? School is hardly any issue; this semester's just the standard fair of homework, lectures and freshman ingrates causing me… unease." Maria, who spent most of her time in hospitals, was always eager to hear about life beyond the sterilized walls.

"Ooh, what classes are you taking this year? Anything fun," she asked, eagerly awaiting his answer.

Shadow chuckled. She was a very considerate, but he knew that even she wouldn't want to hear any of his science jargon.

"Well, don't know about 'fun' per se; Senior Biochem, Calculus, Home ec, Genome-"

"Home ec? In college? I'm supposed to be taking a Family Consumer Science class this year, but even then, it's just kind of a write-off class," Maria questioned with a puzzled expression.

Shadow stood, beginning to pace.

"Yeah, it's bizarre to say the least. But I need a responsible living credit to graduate, and it fit into my schedule. Believe me, I'd never willingly take a class with so many…. teenagers," he shuddered at the word.

He stopped. Flashes of the other night hit him, unwelcome in his conscious mind. He tried to not let it get to him, but he still couldn't shake the utter embarrassment he felt.

Sonic… That kid was officially on his shit-list.

"You're always so hard on the younger students, Shadow. I'm sure they aren't that bad. If they're so irritating, why not actually talk to some of them? Who knows, you could gain a new perspective, talking to someone different from you." Hmm, she'd make a great counselor.

"...I'll keep that in mind. Though, I doubt I'd want to know their perspectives on much of anything. They're so… ungrateful, so disrespectful. They get under my skin in the most irritating way." His pacing evolved into a fuming march.

Maria cocked an eye. "Hmm… sounds an awful lot like it's less the plural 'they' and more so a singular 'they.'"

"How do you know these things? Is mind reading a new symptom of yours," a stunned Shadow mocked.

"Dunno, could be. Would explain the voices I've been hearing recently," she joked. "So, who's the 'ungrateful' and 'disrespectful they' under your skin?"

Ugh, was it worth getting into again? That Sonic guy had soured his entire weekend, and he had just started to lose that bitter taste of embarrassment. His privacy. His tranquility. His personal space... all violated in the matter of minutes, by this one guy. Was it even worth going to class tomorrow?

"Honestly, Maria, it's not worth getting into. Just some guy who sits next to me in class. Seems to be the outgoing type. Insists on trying to invade my privacy. Might need to move seats if I want to get through this class with my sanity intact."

"You could do that. Run away from your problems. Like a child."

"...ouch…" _Scathing._ He both valued and feared her honesty.

"You know what, Shadow. Could you do me a favor?" Maria leaned in, beckoning Shadow closer.

"Well, anything, usually."

"For once, just this once, maybe give this person a chance. Maybe they're trying to befriend you? And, Rouge aside, you could stand to socially branch out a bit more. Loneliness hardens the soul, locks it up tight in fear of disaster. Soon enough, you'll be trapped within a prison of your own making."

"...Maria…" He couldn't respond to that. He had always told himself he was fine with being alone… he had thought that.

Yet…

"Give it a chance, Shadow, for me. You deserve to be happy, brother," She took his hands in hers.

Happiness… Maria made him happy. That was enough.

"...No promises, Maria. But, I can attempt to be…. diplomatic…. If possible….maybe..."

"That's the spirit! New quota; at least 5 new friends by Christmas break!"

"Whoa now, let's not get too crazy here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Sonic/Shadow**

 _ **Beep Beep Beep**_

Groggily rolling over, Shadow put an end to his alarm clock's squawking. Unfortunately, despite his wishes, Monday morning still came. It was time for him to get ready for a long day.

It was six in the morning; the soft rays of dawn danced through his blinds. Stretching out of bed, he wobbly made his way into the bathroom, completing his normal morning routine on auto-pilot.

The warm water of his shower washed over him, helping rinse away the last bits of drowse from his eyes. The shower was always the best place to organize one's thoughts.

Monday. First class, Calculus, was at 8. No homework due today, he recalled. Second class, Biochem, started at 10. There was a pre-class reading, already finished last week. Third class…. Home ec. At 12. Nothing due yet... Maybe he should skip. It would give him time to work on more homework, and there's no way he'd be missing much.

...And he'd be spared interacting with that Sonic kid again. No doubt he'd bring up Friday night, or try his best to give Shadow a sizable headache.

" _Give it a chance, Shadow, for me. "_

Maria… Shadow wished he was more like her. She'd have already befriended half the class if she were in his shoes...

Turning off the water, grabbing a fresh towel and drying himself off, he dressed himself in his regular garb of dark tones and baggy fabric. He still had enough time to maybe make a decent breakfast and lunch.

He turned on the news as he grabbed some eggs and bacon from his fridge.

"...thankfully there were no casualties. In other news, the renowned director of _Chao in Space 2_ , has recently announced plans for the long awaited final installment… "

 _So this is considered news now, hmm?_ Shadow didn't care much for most movies; just a waste of time. Though, he did have a few favorites, mostly ones of higher artistic merit, like _The Shape of Chaos_ or _Citizen Bean_.

Bacon crisped, eggs scrambled and bread perfectly toasted, he sat down to eat. He had 4 chairs set around the table, but most days he just shared the company of the empty space that occupied them. The only company he needed was his own peace of mind. Just himself. No one else.

...Maybe he should invite Rouge or his family over for dinner some time… It'd be a waste to not put a perfectly nice dinner table to use. He had recorded an episode of 'Fine cuisine with Robby Flame,' that had a tasty looking pizza recipe he wanted to test out. It would be nice to have someone other than himself to try it.

 _Well, back to the grind_ , he thought, putting away his dishes, and packing away lunch for the day. _Here's hoping this day just fades in with all the rest_.

* * *

Sonic stretched his arms above his head as his phone's alarm beeped loudly through the room. For once, his series of alarms managed to make him wake up on time—well, almost. He had at least 20 minutes to get to class, which was something of an accomplishment in his book.

Tails' bed was already empty, sheets perfectly made. His full schedule meant he had early-morning classes, and Sonic was such a heavy sleeper that he always dozed through Tails' morning routine. One of these days, eventually, he would wake up and make a proper breakfast for Tails. Then again, cooking wasn't really his forte, so his grand breakfast would really just consist of off-brand toaster pastries and cereal. That was a solid meal, right?

His stomach rumbled at the thought of strawberry-filled pastries. With that, he pulled himself out of bed, went quickly through his haphazard morning routine, and headed for the humanities building, chomping on a granola bar as he ran. Skidding into room 105, he checked his phone to find he was only 4 minutes late—less than last time, at least. The professor's narrowed eyes followed him as he moved towards the last empty seat, once again only inches from a less-than-enthusiastic hedgehog.

Shadow kept his gaze resolutely forward as the professor went on a long-winded tangent about gas and electric stoves. Sonic awkwardly fidgeted in his seat. As oblivious as he could be, he wasn't a complete idiot—he could tell this guy didn't like him, and, to be honest, he wasn't exactly keen on Shadow's edgy, know-it-all attitude either. But he should at least try to smooth things over, right?

He glanced over, trying to catch the other hedgehog's eye, but Shadow was a statue, crossing his arms and not even sparing him a look. Ball was in his court, then.

"Um… hey Shadow?" Sonic covertly (at least as much as he could be) leaned over towards Shadow, whispering in a rather transparent tone.

"..." _Most problems go away if you just ignore them,_ Shadow thought. Sonic, however, was not most problems.

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize for the other night. Don't know what got into me, really. We got off on the wrong foot, so why don't we just smooth things over, and start over, alright?" He gave his most optimistic smile, hoping to get something out of him.

Shadow bit back a sigh, weighing his options. If he kept his head down and stayed quiet, Sonic had to eventually take the hint and shut up, right? Despite Maria's wishes, he knew that if he engaged, that would only give Sonic the encouragement to keep going, poking and prodding until he opened up enough of a crack to worm his way further into Shadow's private life. Fuck that.

Sonic looked over at Shadow once more, almost pleading. Shadow rubbed his temple in an attempt to fight off the impending migraine. Clearly, he was not giving up without a fight. Better to cut the problem off at its head.

"If you want to try and smooth things over, then, how about we vow to leave each other alone for the rest of the semester. It'll be best for the both of us, alright?" Shadow barely acknowledged Sonic beyond a dry whisper

"Ey, come on, I don't bite! We don't have to be best friends or anything, I just don't want anymore animosity between the two of us, ya' know? It's really putting a dent into my good guy cred. "

"Animosity, hmm? Congrats on not tripping over a multisyllabic word." Sonic visibly winced at the comment. "Listen, I can not even begin to care about your reputation you supposedly have. Just leave me alone." Shadow knew he should have quit when he was ahead—held back on the biting commentary—but something about this asshole just ruffled his composure and got on his nerves. He had to do whatever he could to shut him up.

"Man, ouch. Did I really piss you off that bad? I feel terrible about it, okay? Can I at least make it up to you? Get you some lunch? Talk it out over coffee?"

"There's nothing _to_ talk about. You seem like you're used to being the perfect golden boy, but that doesn't mean I have to like you. Learn to deal with it."

Shadow could hear the frustration creeping into Sonic's voice as he spoke again. "Listen, I'm not saying you have to love me. That's not the point here. But—"

"Ah yes, Mr. Shadow and Mr. Sonic." The professor's less-than-enthused voice interrupted their less-than-clandestine conversation.

 _Shit_. "E-excuse me sir?" Shadow, recovered his composure, as much as he could, and hoped he wasn't being blamed for Sonic's unceasing proding.

"You two have been yammering back there all class, so why don't I pair you two up for the big final project, hmm? You obviously know each other so well already."

Oh. God. No. Shadow, too stunned to even respond, zipped his jacket up to his nose, begging for the sweet release of death. Sonic, slightly less stunned, seemed more confused than upset.

"Uh, Mr. professor sir, isn't it a little early to be talking about our final projects?"

The professor snapped his gaze to the outspoken blue hedgehog. "It's never too early to start learning valuable life skills, Mr. Sonic."

Shadow stared daggers at Sonic, hoping he could mentally will him to shut up before he got them both in deeper trouble. Thankfully, the professor moved on before Sonic could open his mouth again.

"You kids are in college now, about to be sent out into the harsh reality that is the real world. Better to prepare now, lest you be screwed later. That's why this semester you'll be required to show me you're able to run a functioning household, like a productive member of society. For this project, you'll be working in pairs, learning how to perform a wide range of general household skills and turning in a report of your progress to me every other week. At the end of the semester, you'll be expected to present the results of your labors, along with a few tokens to show for it. The entire project is worth 50% of your final grade, so make sure you stay on top of it." He paused then, sliding a careful eye over the faces in the room. "Let's keep it simple; there's only 2 to a table, so everyone else will also be paired with the other person at their desk. Who knows! By the end of the semester, you and your partner could end up as happy as newly-weds! Or, more realistically, as fed up as me and my second wife." The professor's dry attempt at humor was met with a room of blank, tired stares. He let out a resigned sigh and continued the tedious descriptions of the assignments themselves.

Shadow tensed in his seat. _Fuck_. There was no way he was going to be stuck working with that blue asshole for the rest of the goddamn semester. Spending 50 minutes with him in class was already starting to strain his last nerve, but having to deal with him every other week, for extended periods of time? Shadow would actually rather shoot himself.

Sonic, however, didn't hate the idea of being paired up with Shadow, per se. He did hate the thought of actually having to start so early on something he'd intended to phone in months from now. He looked over the list of tasks that the professor had handed out. _Mending clothes? Preparing meals for the week? Creating a household budget?_ Surely he didn't need to worry about this kind of stuff _now_. These were things people with like...2.5 kids and a pet chao did, right? Sonic had never even considered having a family larger than him and his brother, Tails, and they got by just fine.

He sighed. Either way, he had to at least pass to keep his track scholarship, which meant he was now beholden to the menial tasks on this paper...and to Shadow. Whether they liked it or not, for the next few months, they had to rely on each other.

"That'll be all for today. Remember, I expect you all to keep up with this. Don't expect to pass if you plan on phoning it in last minute."

 _Well shoot._ Everyone packed up to leave, with Shadow especially set on getting out before Sonic had a chance to worsen his mood.

Before he could escape, though, Sonic once again started talking. "Guess we're stuck together for now, huh?" He flashed him an awkward grin.

Shadow chose not to dignify that with a response.

But of course, ever-oblivious to any kind of social cue, Sonic continued with his attempt at friendly conversation. "But man, can you believe he's making us work so soon on such a dumb project? I have track practice every other day as it is, how am I gonna—"

"Shut up—just—shut up!" Shadow's last nerve was finally struck. Shockingly enough, Sonic actually did as he was told, sheepishly backing away from the irate hedgehog stabbing him with his glare. "I get it, you can't stand putting effort into anything more mentally taxing than prancing around on an asphalt circle every goddamn minute of every day! I. Get. It. But if you're really so insistent on 'smoothing things over,' then do me one favor—don't you dare get in my way. My GPA can not afford me failing a freshman-level course because of some lazy miscreant who can't pull his own weight."

"Shadow… I'm not useless, I can still help!" Sonic, desperately hoping to end at least one class on good terms with this guy, ran after him, grabbing his wrist in an attempt to get him to listen.

That, as it turns out, was a bad idea.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Yanking his wrist away, Shadow departed from Sonic's view in a cloud of rage.

"Oh, geez. Wait! Shouldn't I at least give you my contact info!?" Sonic huffed. Well. That could have gone better. Sonic stood there for a while, lingering in the silence that followed. He had really screwed up here. How was he ever going to get on Shadow's good side, if he even had one?


	9. Chapter 9

**Sonic**

"Wow, really screwed the pooch on that one, didn't you?" Knuckles, just going to town on a plate of enchiladas, bluntly responded to Sonic's recounting of his less-than-stellar class. The two of them met up for lunch at the caf on campus, waiting for Tails to join them. Knuckles was done for the day, and didn't have to go to work for another few hours.

"Well geez, thanks. Glad to know I can count on you to cheer me up." Sonic replied, unamused, sipping his drink with a slight frown. He'd considered getting a bite to eat as well, but he always had trouble eating when he felt like this. "Can I at least count on you to help me figure a way out of this hole I've dug myself into? Honestly, at this point, I just need the guy to not blow up everytime we meet. We have to work together enough to pass this class."

"Can you ask the professor to switch you guys for other partners?" Knuckles was always the best person to turn to for advice—straight to the point, always looking for solutions.

"Nah, I may be on even worse terms with him than with Mr. Short, Dark And Angsty," Sonic quipped, balancing on the back two legs of his chair.

"Have you considered just dropping the class? I'm sure there are other classes you can take to fulfill credit needs, and it'll nip the problem right in the bud." That was an option; it wasn't too late to drop classes with the deadline weeks away.

"Yeah, I could, but you know me - I don't back down from a challenge. Besides, noon classes are too sweet to give up, dude." Wouldn't want to risk the chance of having to wake up before 11 a.m. "And any class where part of my final project is just learning to use a kitchen knife and patch up a shirt seems easy enough for even me to get through."

"Point taken," Knuckles responded, nodding.

"I just don't understand how I could make a guy I've known for literally less than a week so violently hate me. I don't even know him beyond his first name."

"You know, Sonic, there's probably not much you can do. Some people are just like this. You can't make everyone happy, and some people would prefer to keep it that way. So, I suggest you either drop the class, or just stay out of Shadow's way, like he told you." Knuckles had already scarfed down most of his food, and seemed to be ready for round two."Want me to get you anything? I think they have chili dogs."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."

Knuckles, skeptical at his utter disinterest towards a free chili dog, gave him a friendly pat on the back.

"Hey, don't let it get to you dude. I know you're trying, and hey, you'll always be a golden boy in my eyes." Despite his tougher exterior, Knux was probably the most considerate and thoughtful of Sonic's friends.

"Hey, you don't gotta convince me of anything. I know I'm perfect," he insisted, smoothing his quills back and flexing for effect. With a chuckle, Knuckles departed for the buffet, giving Sonic more time to revel in his perfection.

If he was being honest, though, he felt semi-perfect at best. Sure, he wasn't always loved by everyone, but even then, he was at least on okay terms with most people. Take Knuckles; the two of them couldn't stand each other at first, but now they'd do damn near anything for each other. This guy, though, just wasn't giving him anything to work with.

Everyone tended to like Sonic. He always tried his hardest to make sure he was the cool guy people could depend on. It sucked being proved wrong. He generally didn't care about what randos thought, but this Shadow guy seemed to hate his very existence. It…hurt. He had to get Shadow to at the very least tolerate him. Maybe if he got to actually know Sonic…

 _He'd despise me_.

"Hey Sonic! Sorry to keep you guys waiting." Tails, breaking through Sonic's trance, pulled up a chair next to him.

"Oh, hey little buddy! How was class?" Thankfully, Tails was always one to cheer Sonic up. He hadn't seen him much recently, what with track practices, and Tails being a star student. Finally, the three of them could all just hang out like old times.

"Eh, you know, just another normal day of mock-ups and coding. I wouldn't want to bore you with the details," Tails said in a less than enthused tone. There seemed to be something weighing on him; perhaps he had overloaded himself a bit with 18 credit hours worth of classes.

"Hmm, you sure about that little buddy? You know, the bags under your eyes tell a different tale" As much as it sucked seeing Tails so drained, Sonic did like having someone else he could focus on for a while.

"Really, I'm fine, honestly. The classes so far have been a breeze." He let out a sigh.

"Buuuuut?" Sonic leaned in closer to Tails, ready to hear him out.

"Well… It's fine, there's nothing to worry about, really. Guess I'm still adjusting to university life."

Yeah, right. Whatever was going on with Tails, it wasn't just 'fine.'

"Hey Tails, were you going to grab something to eat?" Knuckles returned, arms full of everything from pizza to pudding.

"Not until he tells me why he looks so haggard and depressed," said Sonic. Tails shyly stared at his feet, trying to avoid the gaze of his friends. Knuckles, switching into mom mode, put his food down and got onto Tails' level.

"Aw, I'm sorry champ. Is there anything I can do for you?" Knuckles asked in a markedly sweeter tone.

"You guys, I promise you I'm fine! You don't have to treat me like a little kid, I can handle myself just fine."

He was still hiding something.

"We know you can handle yourself," Sonic agreed, "But you're also the only 13 year old student on this campus. Even I'm having a hard time adjusting, you know? College life is hard to get used to - there's no shame in admitting it."

Tails seemed to open up a bit more. "You are?" he asked. Sonic wasn't the type to have trouble, things just always seemed to work out for him, at least in Tails' eyes.

"You betcha, Tails. But that's not important now. Really, what's up? Is it your classes? Anyone in your classes picking on you?" Tails bowed his head further, seeming to fight back tears. _Yikes, may have struck a chord._

"Hey Sonic, Tails doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to." Knuckles, giving Sonic a disapproving look. He slid over one of his plates with a hamburger toward Tails. "Here, eat up. A full stomach always makes me feel good," he reassured with a smile.

"Man, you must be feeling pretty jolly right about now," Sonic wisecracked. Thankfully, Tails couldn't help but chuckle at this, and wiped away any tears he had coming on.

"Smartass. But hey, remember this. Me and Sonic? We will always have your back. I'll deck anyone who tries to hurt you square in the face." Knuckles cracked his… uh… knuckles to show just how serious he was.

"Thanks guys… that does help. Just don't go punching people because of me," Tails bashfully requested, starting on his hamburger.

"Never because of you, dear Tails. But always for you," Sonic declared, leaving the other two looking for clarification. "What I mean is, it's not like it's a burden or anything for us to help you out. You're my favorite little brother, afterall. I live to kick the butts of those who mess with you."

"I'm your only brother. And I'm not that little," Tails asserted, mouth filled with burger.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Hmm, would you take small bro? Mini bro? Junior? My tweeny weeny bestest bro?" Sonic grabbed ahold of Tails, ruffling his hair, causing him to burst out in giggling protest.

"Hey, hey, alright! Little bro is fine…for now." He wiggled his way out, trying to fix his hair back to it's normal scruffy style.

"Suit yourself." Sonic resumed his casual devil may care posture. At least he can make Tails happy. Now, if only he could find a way to do the same with Shadow. _A_ _full stomach makes Knuckles happy...should I buy the dude lunch?_

"So, Sonic, you're having trouble adjusting?" Tails, still munching on his burger, turned the tables on Sonic.

"Eh, It's nothing much—"

"It's that Shadow guy. Called Sonic a lazy bum," Knuckles interrupted. "Man, you guys have it rough. My whole freshman year was super boring, compared to your first two weeks."

"First, he called me a lazy miscreant, not bum." Sonic held up a finger in protest. "Second, he's only a drop in the bucket. I knew I shouldn't have taken college algebra. Like, I totally rock it when it comes to reading and writing stuff, but I just check out when it comes to mathy-sciency stuff. Hope I can keep at least a C. Can't afford to lose my scholarship."

"Well, I'm a pretty decent tutor if I do say so myself," Tails beamed. "If you have your work with you we could go over it."

And the three continued on like this, for as long as they could. Talking like they were all back at Emerald Hill High, without a care in the world.


	10. Chapter 10

**Shadow**

Shadow's leg bounced anxiously as he shifted in the uncomfortable, creaky wooden chair in the library cafe. He eyed the papers strewn across the small table as he took a sip of his americano, wincing at the cold, bitter taste of the mediocre brew. Two weeks into the semester and he could already feel the oppressive weight of papers and syllabi threatening to crash down around him.

Lab reports, papers, research projects, massive midterms—

His gaze fell to the extensive home-ec task list looming at the top of his pile. God, now he had that bullshit to contend with. And being partnered with that Sonic asshole—

 _Nope. No._ There was no way he was wasting any more time on that careless idiot. He looked to his hastily scribbled medical notes… He had bigger things to worry about.

He bit back a sigh. Group work was the bane of his existence in normal circumstances. And there was no way a freeloader like Sonic was going to help—at least not willingly. It wasn't worth the trouble. If nothing else, Shadow would do what he had always done—he would handle it. The sooner this project was done and the sooner he got that blue nuisance out of his life, the better.

* * *

"Are you going to keep staring at that brooding asshole or are you going to make those caramel macchiato orders I gave you?"

Silver jumped as Blaze's voice piped up suddenly behind him. He frowned indignantly, trying to swallow his embarrassment, but he could already feel his cheeks heating up in spite of himself. "I wasn't—"

Blaze cut him off with a knowing side-eye. "Oh, shut up. I've seen you make those lovesick puppy dog eyes at him for years. You've had that crush on him since Psych I."

Silver didn't bother responding, stepping around his co-worker and busying himself with the espresso machine in hopes to escape the conversation.

But Blaze was nothing if not persistent, sidling up beside him and leaning against the counter. She checked herself out in the metallic side of the whirring espresso machine, adjusting the tufts of purple fur tied up in her signature ponytail before continuing her crusade. "Y'know, you could...I don't know...talk to him?"

Silver scoffed as he dumped caramel syrup into the cafe's bland cardboard cups. "Please, like that would work."

Blaze rolled her eyes. "You don't know that."

"C'mon, Blaze. I may be optimistic, but I'm also a realist. Shadow's way too brooding and mysterious. I'm nowhere near his type."

"Aw come on, you're charming," she said, tapping a finger on his nose. "I mean, _I_ like you."

"You're my best friend. You don't count," he responded dryly as he carefully finished off the drinks with drizzles of caramel.

Blaze put a hand to her chest and gasped in mock-offense. "How dare you?"

Silver sighed as he slid the cups down the counter and called the names of the gaggle of privileged airheads that ordered them. "You know what I mean," he mumbled as soon as they were out of earshot.

Blaze pulled the lever to let out the steam on the espresso machine as she watched Silver's gaze gradually slide back over to Shadow. "Listen, I know talking to people is _the worst thing in the world_ , but you gotta put yourself out there. People appreciate boldness. That's how I rope in the ladies." She throws a wink in his direction, smirking.

"You and Amy met online. That's different."

"But _I_ messaged her first. And look at us now—two years strong."

Silver met her smile with silence.

Blaze gave a long-suffering sigh. "And anyway, you're missing the point. Look, if you don't talk to him, I will."

Silver balked. "You wouldn't."

Blaze raised a careful eyebrow. The look she gave him said everything. _Don't test me._

Silver huffed, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. I will. Just...give me time?"

"Uh, can I get a refill on my americano?"

Silver jumped as a voice sounded from behind him, deep and grumbling. He turned to find Shadow standing behind him, empty thermos in hand.

"Time's up," whispered Blaze. He could almost hear her self-satisfied smirk.

Barely stifling a glare at his mischievous friend, Silver threw on his patented customer service smile and awkwardly took the cup from him. "O-of course."

Blaze snatched the thermos from his hands, starting up the espresso machine and leaving Silver alone with Shadow. Panicked, he fell back to his Friendly Barista shtick.

"Would you like cream with that?"

Shadow snapped his head up from where he was looking at the shelves of overpriced mugs. "Sorry?"

Silver blinked. "Oh, do you want cream? For your americano."

Shadow gave a slight nod, straightening the napkins that lay askew on the counter. "And some sugar if you have it. Sorry, I'm in a rush."

Silver glanced back at Blaze. She eyed him as she slowly poured the espresso, stalling, waiting. He almost groaned. _Please don't make me do this._

Finally, with a roll of her golden eyes, Blaze rescued him by quickly finishing off Shadow's drink and handing it off with a practiced smile. Silver's eyes watched his form walk away as Blaze leaned against the counter, loosely crossing her arms.

"Wow, that was a riveting conversation."

Silver pouted at his scheming friend. "Shut it. You know I'm not good at this."

Blaze shrugged. "Yeah, you're right—your flirting sucks." She smiled and ruffled his wild quills. "But I suppose I can't fault you for trying."

Silver lightly pushed her hand away. "Gee, thanks."

A smirk curled her lips as she responded. "Don't worry, you'll have more chances. I'll make sure of it."

Silver tossed his head back, feigning an agonized groan. "Blaaaze." He drew out her name in a whine.

"Listen, I'm tired of watching you be all lovesick without doing anything about it. And we graduate in five months. This is your last chance. So we're gonna try our damndest to get you on that sweet, sweet, brooding dic—"

Silver cut her off, cheeks already pink. "Okay, okay, I get it."

Blaze let out a laugh at his bashfulness, poking his nose. "Love you, Silvs."

Silver just stuck out his tongue.

* * *

Shadow gave two light taps on the dark wood of Maria's door before softly turning the handle to step inside.

"Well well well, look who's slacking on the job," Maria teased, closing the book she'd been reading. She was in pretty good spirits, despite the fact that she had spent most of the day in tests and other experimental treatments aimed at doing whatever they thought they could for her.

The toll it took on her was always visible in her rather shallow face and sunken eyes. Her spirit, none-the-less, shone bright in the face of an uncertain future. _Only one more year, one more..._

"If a 30 minute break on a 5 hour shift is considered slacking, then so be it," he groggily chuckled, pulling up the guest loveseat—a stiff piece of furniture with bland, floral upholstery—to sit next to Maria's bedside. He slung his backpack onto the ground, figuring he might be able to get through some of his homework in a more relaxing environment.

Shadow had gotten a job working the front desk at the Station Square Municipal Hospital freshman year. It was a little out of the way for him to travel every other day, but the job gave him enough free time to do his homework, and had the added benefit of seeing Maria whenever he liked.

"Wow, you're finally starting to remove that stick from your ass."

"Maria! How dare you mock your most beloved elder brother with such foul language," Shadow feigned indignancy with a histrionic display. He was glad they could still do this—joke and play around with each other. It made it feel as if time stopped, as if everything was still perfect.

"You're my only brother, ya goof." She pulled her shawl a little tighter. Shadow felt a twinge of warmth in his chest seeing her use the thing.

"Want me to turn the air down for you?" He was already moving for the thermostat as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Would you? Feels like they're prepping me for the morgue already," she casually commented, taking a moment to release her messy bun of blonde hair from its tie.

"How charmingly morbid. Or morbidly charming," he said over his shoulder as he thumbed the AC, switching it off. Crossing back to his chair, he flopped onto the cushion with a hearty sigh, "Take your pick."

"Being charmingly morbid has always been my strong suit," she gave a chuckle that was thankfully just as sweet and bright as she always was. Suddenly, Maria's smile dropped. "Shadow, are you okay?"

Her abruptness caught Shadow off guard, leaving him wide-eyed and confused in the middle of drawn-out yawn. "Aaaaawwww-wha? I mean, yes. Yes! I'm fine," he quickly grasped at composure, "Why?"

"You look so worn out! Have you been sleeping alright?" She was always so quick on the trigger when it came to other people showing any signs of weariness. Maybe being as sick as she is gave her super insight of some kind.

Shadow ran a hand through his quills. "If I say yes, will you believe me?"

Maria smirked. "Don't push your luck. I know you too well."

He chuckled. "That you do. Too perceptive for your own good."

"You learn to be when your brother refuses to take care of himself."

Shadow frowned in mock-offense. "I do just fine, thank you very much."

"The bags under your eyes say otherwise," she said, pointing towards his objectively haggard form.

"I'll be okay, Maria, I promise."

His half-lie hung in the air for a few moments before Maria spoke up again.

"So, have you made good on your promise yet."

Shadow balked, shooting her a confused look. "What?" _She couldn't mean_ —

"Last time you were here you promised me you would give more people a chance—more specifically, that 'lazy,' 'ungrateful' guy from your class."

Shadow winced. He had said something to that effect, hadn't he? He dropped his eyes to the stark white tile, giving Maria her answer before he could figure out how to dodge the question.

"Shads," she sighed, a perfect mix of concern and exasperation. "I just don't want you to get stuck. I'm not saying you have to get along with everyone, but...no one is an island."

Shadow's gaze found her face, all big blue eyes, and pouting lips. She loved him, and she tried to look out for him as much as he did for her. And he could never fault her for that.

Shadow let a sweet smile curl his lips, an attempt at comforting her like he always tried to. "I have all I need."

Maria looked away from Shadow. "Well, don't get too used to it. You'll be losing me before long..."

"Shh, Stop that." Shadow held up a finger to Maria. "Nothing will stop me from keeping my promise to you Maria."

Maria smiled at this, though it didn't seem to reach her eyes. "We'll see. Though, you're record isn't looking so good. You couldn't even keep your promise to give that guy in your class a chance!"

 _Back to levity._

"He doesn't count. Even the toughest diseases would be easier to handle than that imbecile. Which reminds me," he reached down to his bag, grabbing hold of his laptop. "Since I so kindly, um, relieved my partner of his duties, I've twice the amount of work to do for my asinine home-ec class."

Maria was having none of it. "Really gave him a chance, didn't you?" Her voice was sarcastically unamused as she fixed him with a look. Shadow could have laughed—more often than not Maria seemed more like a mother than his little sister.

"What can I say; I've always had a way with words." He looked down aimlessly at his keyboard, unable to help the blush that spread across his cheeks at being lectured by a high schooler. "Too late to fix it now. And honestly, I wouldn't have the time to try and work around him anyway."

A raised eyebrow was all it took to show her disbelief, but she decided to drop it for now ."So what's the assignment?" Maria leaned over her bedside to peak at Shadow's screen.

"Household budget. We're supposed to fill in expected income, expenditures, wants and necessities, and so on and so forth."

"And you're just going to...assume the expenses of this guy you don't even know?"

Shadow thought hard for a few seconds; what did he know about this Sonic kid?

"Necessities; running shoes and chili dogs. Done." Shadow thought he remembered seeing the kid with one of those chilli-smothered abominations during their unfortunate encounter at the bar all those weeks ago.

Maria gave a laugh at this, and at the sound of her ever-contagious giggle, Shadow couldn't help but let out a breathy chuckle. They leaned into one another, allowing the warmth of joy to surround them like a blanket.

As the years went on, moments like these—bright and warm and alive—were becoming fewer and farther between. Maria was the strongest fighter Shadow had ever known, but even now, he could see the way sickness weighed on her form. And he couldn't help the fear that twisted his stomach every time he looked into her sunken eyes.

 _You'll be losing this before long_.

The sound of Maria's laughter tinkled like bells in his ears, her grin pink and wide.

 _No_ , Shadow decided. He wouldn't lose this. _They_ wouldn't lose this.

 _Not if I work fast enough._


	11. Chapter 11

**Sonic/Shadow**

Sonic adjusted his backpack as he strode through the small campus quad, cutting across the grass in an attempt at finding a shortcut to his next class—which he was already late for. But he could at least try not to double that time.

The professor pointedly ignored Sonic as he stepped into home ec, having long-since given up on calling the hedgehog out for his lateness. Sonic's quick pace paused as he reached his place at the back of the room. His eyes landed on Shadow's desk—empty. His brows furrowed as he slid into his seat and glanced up at the slowly-ticking clock. 12:10. And Shadow still wasn't here.

The guy hadn't missed a class as far as Sonic could remember. He had tried to get in contact with the dark hedgehog outside of class—considering they had a whole project to do together—but he never got Shadow's number, and couldn't find the guy on any social media sites. (Not that he was surprised on that front; Shadow looked like he hadn't touched the internet since the fall of MOL—Mobius Online.) He'd wanted to ask again last week, but Sonic had learned better than to provoke Shadow during class.

He supposed that he should be relieved in the absence of his brooding counterpart, but some form of anxiety was biting at his brain. Shadow seemed like the kind of guy to always be on time—hell, Sonic wouldn't be surprised if he showed up 15 minutes early. But to not only be late, but later than Sonic...something about that threw him off. His gaze drifted back to the front of the room, attempting to at least semi-focus on the professor's monotonous tone, but his brain kept thinking of Shadow, of where he might be.

Maybe he's sick. Everybody gets sick. Or maybe it's worse. What if—

The knob on the classroom door slowly turned with a small click. Shadow slipped into the room. Silent, head down, he walked as quickly as he could to his place in the back, sliding into his seat like nothing had happened. Even the professor showed a brief flicker of confusion at Shadow's tardiness before he continued droning.

Sonic felt his stomach untwist as Shadow took his place beside him. At least he's not dead. But, even still, the pinpricks of worry wouldn't cease—something had to be wrong. His eyes drifted to Shadow's form. He looked...haggard, almost physically slumping in his seat.

Sonic wanted to ask—felt that he should at least check on the guy—but Shadow kept his gaze resolutely forward, and he had no way in. He sighed. Well, if silence is what Shadow wants…

He looked back towards the professor again, trying to pay attention, trying to leave well enough alone, but his mind kept wandering to everything that could be wrong with Shadow, crafting a number of worrisome narratives.

Surely he doesn't hate me enough to start actively avoiding the class itself. Right?

Eventually, the hour came to a close with the sharp sound of chairs scraping against linoleum. Sonic blinked out of his daze as he saw backpacks being thrown over shoulders. It took him a moment to follow suit.

"Ah," the professor exclaimed, making most pause where they stood. "Before you leave, please leave your first project assignment on my desk please—the budgeting plan for your mock-household."

Shit. Sonic went wide-eyed. He had completely forgotten that that was due today. Oh man, what am I supposed to do now? Maybe I can get with Shadow and we can explain to the professor that—

He glanced towards his partner to try and talk with him, come up with a plan, but Shadow was already striding towards the front of the room, placing the assignment on top of the pile on the corner of the desk, and leaving after a vague nod from the professor.

Wait, did he—

Sonic dashed out the door, just barely catching Shadow out in the hallway, grasping his wrist before he disappeared around the corner. Shadow whipped around in surprise before his gaze grew cold again.

"Why must you accost me after class so often," he said flatly, jerking his hand away.

Sonic ran nervous fingers through his quills. "We were supposed to work on that together," He pleaded, trying to keep Shadow from leaving. "I mean, I know it's only a budget, but it's a partner project, remember? And I can't really pull my own weight if you don't even let me in on the work!"

Shadow frowned. "As if you'd even do it," he muttered. "I filled it out as I assume you would have. It's easy to assume where a person like you would put their financial priorities."

Annoyed now, Sonic put his hands on his hips. "Huh, you seem to do an awful lot of assuming. Ever consider, I don't know, taking a few minutes to actually talk to me? Then, if you still decide I'm as much of a 'lazy miscreant' as you think I am, have at it—hate me all you want. But you can't just keep painting me as the bad guy here."

Sighing, Shadow tried to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes. He knew Sonic was right, but he was disgusted at the thought of letting him be right. "Look, I have to get to work. Please, it'll be much faster and beneficial for us both if you just let me do our assignments."

"It will also result in you both failing this class."

Both of the hedgehogs turned to find their home-ec professor standing behind them, pulling the classroom door shut and fixing the two bickering students with a stern look.

"The whole point of this semester long project, I thought I had made clear, is to learn how to balance a household. Regardless of your intentions for the future, or your feelings towards each other, I expect both of you to complete the given assignments together."

Pulling out the budget Shadow had turned in, the professor held it out towards the two. "I'll give you two the weekend to work this out together. Submit it again by class on Monday. Alright?"

Shadow, too tired to seethe, gave a cold, "Yes sir." The professor looked expectantly at Sonic, who hadn't picked up on the fact that he too was supposed to answer. A quick jab to the side from Shadow was a big enough hint.

"Uh, yeah, absolutely. Thanks, uh, sir." Smooth, Sonic. Real smooth.

Satisfied for now, the professor left the two—Sonic rubbing his neck in embarrassment, Shadow holding his temple, staring at the ceiling—hoping they could resolve this matter cleanly.

"Sooooo, what's your schedule like?" Sonic asked coyly, hoping this was a reasonable enough question. It seemed as though Shadow had lost some of his bite. He wasn't up to ripping Sonic's comments to shreds, which at least seemed like progress.

"...Full. Honestly, this is why I'd prefer to work on it alone. I work most everyday as it is, and barely have any free time to speak of." Sonic sheepishly looked away, trying to choose his words a little more carefully. Shadow looked like he already had one foot in the grave and Sonic desperately didn't want to do anything that might push him further away.

"Which is exactly why you should let me help. My schedule is pretty open. I usually have track practices in the mornings, but I'm free most afternoons. Y'know, if I don't have class or anything."

Shadow, even now, couldn't muster up enough disgust at Sonic's cavalier attitude. He desperately needed to get to work.

"Saturday. 6 p.m. Library. Don't be late, and be prepared. I finished it in less than an hour, so I expect us to be done before 7 if you keep up with me. Understood?" Sonic beamed at finally getting a chance to prove to Shadow he could actually do something, counter to Shadow's deepening scowl.

"You got it! But before you leave, we really should exchange numb-" before he could even pull out his phone, Shadow had disappeared. Aaaaaand, he's gone again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Shadow**

It's 10 p.m. when Shadow finds himself at his apartment door, arms full of groceries, fishing for his keys in his backpack, desperately pleading to Rouge on the phone, "No. Not again. Not after last time."

She had called him up with yet another request to spend his Friday night at some obnoxious club. Balancing his phone in the crook of his shoulder, he eventually found his keys swallowed by a random pocket of his backpack...Only to discover that his door was already unlocked. Which could only mean one thing.

And, sure enough, as he stepped inside, there was Rouge, lounging in his favorite armchair, legs crossed just so.

"About time you came home," she commented, nonchalantly examining her nails as she clicked "end" on her call with Shadow.

Shadow let out a haggard breath. "How did you even get in here?"

She smirked, uncurling from her position. "I have my ways. A woman doesn't reveal her secrets."

He frowned. _She could at least help me with these groceries._

Which led them here, with Rouge begging him to come to yet another nightclub.

"Oh come ooooonnnn, It's not like it's the same club! The Stardust Speedway is a much more casual—"

"No." He was having none of this tonight. Disregarding Rouge's theatrics, he crossed over into the kitchen and started putting away his groceries. He knew the steps of this conversation; it was a familiar enough occurrence between the two of them.

Rouge, however, didn't continue to push like she had always done.

"Wow, babe, you look terrible," she bluntly exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.

"Thanks," he deadpanned, shoving the milk into its place in the fridge. "Heat up whatever leftovers you want," he called over his shoulder, striding back to the living room. "I'm not cooking for you."

Over the years, Rouge's impromptu visits had become frequent enough that this space was hers too—and much to Shadow's chagrin, she took advantage of it whenever she could. At some point, he had stopped protesting, and her presence in his home became more familiar than he would ever admit aloud.

"Oh honey, I've known you long enough to know that you won't finish whatever you're cooking anyway." She poked at his ribcage. "You're practically wasting away."

Batting Rouge's hand away, he crossed back into the kitchen and threw on an apron, fraying at the hems now with how much he used it. He remembered how wide Maria had smiled when she presented it to him as a birthday present all those years ago—"because I know how much you like cooking, even if you don't want anyone else to."

Rouge kept insisting he replace the "old thing," and surprised him with a new one last Christmas, emblazoned with the words "kiss the cook" across the top and a pair of lips printed suggestively the chest. Red-faced, he had immediately tossed it in the garbage as Rouge cackled over her wine glass, only pulling it out a day later when the guilt gnawed at him for throwing away a gift someone had given him—even a gift as ridiculous as that. Now it sat shoved in the very back of his closet. Shadow would die before he let that thing see the light of day again.

"I eat enough. Not everyone can be blessed with dimensions as generous as yours," he flatly stated, beginning to clean and chop some vegetables for a quick stir-fry, already doubling the ingredients out of habit. They both knew he would despite his complaining.

"I'm just deciding to take that as a compliment. Your impeccably dry wit never ceases to perplex and amaze, darling." She hopped up on the counter, swinging her legs slightly as she leaned into the overhead cabinets. "Anyway, after dinner, you're coming out with me. No questions asked. I'm literally the only thing that gets you out of the house these days. What kind of friend would I be if I just let you rot in here?"

He sighed as he stirred the sizzling ingredients in the pan. "No, Rouge, I have too much to do, and anyway—"

Rouge smirked as she cut him off. "Oh, _I_ know what it is! You're afraid we'll run into your little blue boyfriend again."

Shadow whipped around, brandishing his spatula as he scowled. "Don't you dare assume I would ever willingly associate with that careless, airheaded, idiotic—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rouge said, blinking as she held her hands up in defense. "I know your temper is almost as short as you are, babe, but that really set you off."

Shadow frowned as he turned back to his stir-fry, quietly ashamed at losing his composure so quickly.

Rouge eyed him for a moment as the silence hung between them, seeing right through him as always. "But it's not just him, is it?" Her eyes flicked from the stir-fry to his tired form. "Alright, wanna tell me what's really going on?"

Silence. The click of the stovetop being turned off.

Rouge's gaze went back to her nails again, casually examining the hot pink polish on each one. "You know me, Shadow. I won't leave until I find out." She smiled playfully, leaning that much closer to her sulking friend. "I have my ways of finding out secrets, Shadow. Don't make me use them on you."

Rouge paused there for a few moments, waited.

"Is it Maria?" she asked, quietly, knowingly. Her voice loses its sharp, sarcastic edges, tone softening into something more delicate, more serious.

Shadow is silent as he divides their meal onto two plates, his grip on the spatula tightening ever so slightly. And that in itself gives Rouge the answer she needs. She let out a breath.

"Love, I know she means a lot to you, but you can't build your life around a promise that—"

"Too late." Shadow's words are dry when he speaks up again, jaw setting with a sort of somber determination. "I already have." He sat the dishes in the sink with a thud and immediately began cleaning—an excuse to do something with his hands, to avoid looking Rouge in the eye.

Rouge frowned slightly from her place on the counter, concern drawing her brows together. Maria was one of, if not _the_ closest thing to Shadow's heart—had been since day one—and Rouge will never forget the way Shadow broke down in her arms when the kid was diagnosed. The words _terminal_ and _life-threatening_ were repeated by countless doctors in the days after.

Rouge watched his profile, his eyes resolutely staying fixed on the grime stuck to a pan. "I just don't want you to blame yourself if something happens."

Shadow let a bark of mirthless laughter escape him. "The _something_ already happened— _is_ happening. I'm going to stop it. I can't just stand back and watch her di—" Soap suds ran over his knuckles as his fist tightened around the sponge in his hand, a physical manifestation of the tension in his voice.

Rouge waits again as his grip slowly releases, sponge falling back into the sink as he gives up. He sounds small when he finds his voice again, eyes still down.

"Rouge, if I can't save her, then what's the point?"

Every word stops short on Rouge's tongue in the silence that follows. What could she say? What platitude could she spit out that he hasn't heard already?

Rouge is a good liar. She's spun a web of tales good enough to fool anyone she meets. But Shadow knows her—can see through her almost as well as she can him—and she knows there's no lie pretty enough for him to buy right now. So, she folds her hands in her lap and chooses to be honest for maybe the third time in her entire life.

"That...I don't have a clear answer for."

Shadow breathes out another dry chuckle, short and hollow. "The infamous Rouge doesn't have a quip at the ready. That's a first."

Rouge takes a turn, bouncing off his sarcasm in order to steer the conversation away from sick children and weighty, desperate vows. Shadow had had enough. "I don't think you could appreciate my sparkling wit right now anyhow."

She slid from her countertop perch, stretching out her wings as she grabbed the forgotten plates of stir-fry and stepped towards her sullen friend. "Now, come on, we're gonna eat this lovely dinner and watch some trash TV and you are going to let yourself unclench for a few hours. "

If Rouge saw his shoulders sag with relief, she didn't comment on it as he followed her to the living room couch.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sonic**

5:00.

Sonic, hypnotized by the ticking hands of his desk clock, watched as time slowly marched forward.

Slumped over, head balanced in one hand, he twirled his pencil in his fingers. If he tapped his foot any faster, it would surely take off on its own.

Having spent the majority of this rainy Saturday stuck in his dorm room, actively avoiding his responsibilities, he eventually felt guilty enough to take a crack at his math homework. And, despite his usual stubbornness, he wanted to try proving Shadow wrong by actually doing his own work before their meeting tonight.

Snapping himself from his trance, he tried focusing back in on his problem set.

 _Alright, alright, inequalities. Soooo, if I subtract 7, that leaves me with 4z which is greater than 23+7z… but why the hell is there a Z?! Isn't this supposed to be math?!_

"UUUGH, I don't get any of this!" He threw his hands up in frustration, leaning backwards in his chair. It didn't help any that he neglected to take notes in any of his classes anyway, and had lost track of his textbook sometime shortly after renting it.

He whipped back to his desk, desperately wrangling his thoughts in long enough to complete even the first problem. Holding his head in both hands, he stared at the paper, hoping the solution would just jump to the page if he waited long enough.

It felt like an eternity had passed when he finally caved, peeking at the clock once more.

5:03

"I'm hopeless," Sonic frustratedly put his head down on his desk.

"Hey now, that's not the Sonic I know," Tails chided as he stepped out of the bathroom, drying his freshly-showered fur with a fluffy towel. "Where's the cocky show-off I know and love; the daredevil crazy enough to race out into traffic without a second thought?"

Though it wasn't a common occurrence, Sonic had had his brushes with danger in his youth. As a young lad of 12, he had risked his life to save a 6-year-old Tails, playing in the street, from a car running a stop sign. He hadn't really thought anything of it, acting before he even had a chance to consider the possible consequences. Their small town, though, championed the feat. For the next few years, Sonic was hailed as the young hero of Emerald Hill, able to outpace a car.

Even now, he would get an occasional exclamation and clap on the back from any middle-aged resident who remembered his face from the incident. He always blushed and tried to shrug it off when Knuckles would clown him about it, but a small part of him still shone at the praise.

His local hero status hadn't spread beyond his hometown, though, and no one at GHU knew anything about him or his supposed reputation. Sonic had yet to decide whether was a positive change or not.

"Tails, nothing on this math is more oppressive or soul crushing than college algebra," Sonic mumbled from his arms.

"Umm, you said 'math' instead of 'earth'," Tails coyly corrected.

"Oh no, it's spreading to my language ability. Noooo, that's the only thing I've got going for me," Sonic whined, giving a rather pathetic moan of frustration.

"Haha, oh Sonic, don't despair, I'm always ready to help out where I can," Tails beamed, eagerly pulling a chair up to Sonic's desk.

"Aww, Tails, you're my mathematical angel," Sonic weakly latched onto Tails in an exaggerated display.

"Well, we all have our strengths, I suppose." Tails was always exceedingly bright. By age 8, he had already rebuilt and upgraded their families old bi-plane. By 10, he had tested out of junior high. By 13, he had hundreds of scholarships tossed his way, all eager to have the boy genius among their admissions.

"Mhmm," Sonic gave a half-hearted reply, unable to muster up his usual wit. Tails started in on Sonic's homework.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous of Tails. When he was in high school, it was easy enough to get by on cruise control, riding his cred as the track star and town hero. But here he was now, being tutored by a teenage boy over something as basic as algebra, just so he could maintain a scholarship for a yet to be determined future.

 _Shadow's right. I'm just some ungrateful dumbas—_

"Hellooooo, earth to Sonic?" Tails, snapped a finger, calling Sonic back to attention.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, guess my focus is out to lunch, ya' know?" Sonic gave a semi-genuine chuckle.

"Well, maybe you should take a break then. Go for a run? May help you _jog_ your memory," Tails snorted, quite proud of that little feat of wordplay.

"Stick to math, kiddo. Awkwardly cringy wordplay is my territory," Sonic gave a wink accompanied by finger guns in Tails direction. Tails had always been good at this—pulling him out of his funk, making him laugh. They always knew how to make each other smile, ever since the beginning. Sonic stretched out his stiff limbs, tilting back the creaking legs of the dorm's decades-old desk chair. "But as nice as a waterlogged jog in the rain sounds, I've got a thing to get to at 6. Probs shouldn't chance being 'fashionably' late."

Tails tilted his head, intrigued. "Oh? What's this 'thing' for?"

Sonic, balancing a pencil on his nose, tried to keep the details vague. He didn't feel like talking about the mess that was his partnership with Shadow. "Just a group project at the library."

Tails eyed the ground. "Oh. Sounds fun."

Cocking an eyebrow, Sonic assumed a more serious posture. "You wouldn't happen to have any group projects to work on, now would you," he asked coyly. Sonic hadn't forgotten his worrisome behavior in the cafeteria. He hadn't pushed Tails about it since then; he knew he shouldn't. But something was clearly weighing on him, and Sonic wasn't about to let him bear it alone.

"Well… sorta, maybe," Tails anxiously traced a circle in the palm of his hand. Silence filled the air, neither of them willing to fill it. He wanted to wait for Tails to say what he needed to. Despite his flighty, impulsive, jittery nature, Sonic could exercise a great deal of patience when he needed to.

Eventually, Tails continued. "I… have a semester long engineering project. My partner…" Now, he was clearly having difficulty speaking. A blush rose to his cheeks. His words were likely to let loose all he was trying to hold back.

Sonic caved, aching to rid Tails of his misery, and maneuvered the conversation in a less painful direction. "What kind of project takes an entire semester?"

"Well, it's a pretty intense project, to be honest. We have to design something meant to help the environment in some way," Tails welcomed Sonic's mercy, the tension in his form relaxing slightly. "Since it's such a broad topic, they give us this semester to design the concept, and next semester to begin prototyping. It's required for completion of my engineering major."

"And this is a freshman class? Wow, that's intense," Sonic gawked. The thought of committing so much time to such a long term project sent chills down his spine. Even this semester-long home-ec assignment felt like overkill. "Well, at least you have another person to help out, right?"

"Yeah, we get class time to work on it, and meetups every Wednesday to do more planning." Tails trailed off as his eyes dropped back down to Sonic's homework, pencil scribbling correct answers on autopilot. "Or at least in theory, we're supposed to." This last part was muttered under Tails' breath as he wrote, tone bitter. Sonic wasn't even sure that he meant to say it aloud.

Whatever it was this partner of Tails' was doing to him, physical or not, it was clearly getting to him. Tails, for all his brains, was still just a 13 year-old boy. He was bound to have some jerks hounding him for his immaturity and inexperience. It hurt his heart to even think about someone talking down to him for something he couldn't control. _Can't say I don't relate..._

"Ya know," Sonic started, making the familiar switch into Big Brother Mode. "Group projects kinda suck when your partner doesn't wanna see eye to eye," Sonic looked out the window, watching the even pace of the rain. "But, at the end of the day, there's only so much you can do. If they're hellbent on making you feel like trash, they can't succeed unless you let them. So, it's difficult, but always keep one simple fact in mind."

Tails looked up, startled by a seriousness that seldom touched his carefree green eyes.

"You are Miles Prower. Don't let any jerk make you feel bad about that." Sonic, holding onto Tails' shoulders, didn't break eye contact. "Got that?"

Tails, always too bashful to accept compliments, nodded, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Pulling him in, Sonic held onto Tails for a while, letting the dam break as tears leaked onto his shoulder.

"Alright. You okay bud?" He pulled away, patting him on the back now.

"I'll be fine. I promise. Thank you," Tails wiped away some stragglers in his eyes. He glanced at the clock on Sonic's desk. "Sorry I couldn't help you more with your homework."

Sonic followed his gaze.

5:50

"Shoot!" Sonic jumped up, hurriedly filling his bag with whatever supplies he thought he needed. "Don't mean to break up this heartfelt moment, but we can go grab a nice dinner wherever you want when I get back, aight?"

"Can we go to Eggman's," Tails, trying to hold back his childish enthusiasm, coyly asked.

Sonic slowed down for a second, heart warming at the nostalgic suggestion."Sure thing, little buddy. Love ya," he said, giving Tails a quick kiss on the forehead, "See ya in a few!" He quickly departed, with a gust of wind left in his wake.

Tails, still embarrassed by such a childish show of affection, found himself smiling despite himself.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sonic/Shadow**

Lucky for Sonic, the library was only a short jog from his dorm. He arrived just a few minutes till 6:00. Hurrying away from the quickening downpour, he strode into the library. Since he couldn't be bothered to actually own an umbrella, he shook off rain clinging to his spikes, flinging the droplets around him in a wet halo. The tired woman at the front desk gave him a glare as some of the water splashed on the wood beside her. Sonic winced as he caught her eye, cheeks flushing at his puppy-esque move.

Though Shadow might not believe it, it wasn't Sonic's first time in the GHU library. He'd come by to rent a few books in the past, though he'd never actually used it for any other of its intended purposes. Like studying.

 _Well, I'm a little early, so maybe I should just wait here for Shadow? But he may already be here, in which case I should try and find him? Uggghh, but then I could miss him coming in, and make him think I'm even more careless for being late again._

Instinctively, Sonic reached for his phone to try and text Shadow.

 _Oh wait, that's right. Captain Crabby hasn't allowed me the privilege of modern social convenience._

He huffed out a breath, annoyed. Sonic liked to think of himself as the least bitter person he knew, but maybe Shadow's coldness was rubbing off on him.

Well. He could go with Plan C, which was just shouting Shadow's name throughout the building until he found him that way. Cupping his hands, he fully intended to act on this impulse, if it weren't for the sound of the library's automatic doors hissing open behind him.

Shadow, knocking off the residual rain from his umbrella, slinked into the library. He looked up, catching Sonic's eyes. A faint twinkle of surprise touched his own. "Sorry I'm late," he mumbled, walking past Sonic.

Sonic checked his phone. It was 6 on the dot. "Whaddya mean? You're right on time," he asked in a hushed voice, feeling a bit vindicated for beating Shadow here. And for the semi-genuine apology.

"If you're on time, you're 10 minutes late," he whispered at Sonic, as he lead him towards his usual secluded corner of the library. A few giggles slipped from Sonic without his explicit permission, barely concealing a much deeper laughing fit he was desperately trying to keep quiet.

" _Shhhh!_ What is so funny," Shadow angrily whispered at Sonic, who was now crouching on the ground, hands over his mouth, trying to calm down.

"Ha, haaaah, ha—it's nothing, nothing at all. It's just—" He couldn't let on exactly how adorable he found Shadow's old-fashioned personality. He took a deep breath, holding the straightest face he could muster, "I greatly admire your diligent and responsible personality." Sonic, still holding in his laughter, attempted sincerity through twitching lips.

"...I'm sure you do." Shadow rolled his eyes, and began to unpack his bag. Sonic let out a breath, relieved he hadn't sent Shadow running yet again. But, then again, it's not like he had much of a choice this time.

Sonic slid into the booth Shadow had chosen, hidden in the corner beside the shelves of periodicals—quiet, out of the way, not another student in sight. Fitting, he supposed.

Sonic leaned onto the large table as Shadow pulled out a notebook. "Sooo, partner—" he started playfully, coyly.

Shadow gave another trademark eyeroll. "Please never call me that again."

Sonic shrugged. "Sure thing, buddy." Shadow grabbed the bridge of his nose, the realization of just how long he'd have to put up with this finally sinking in. "So, what's our attack plan?"

Shadow pulled out a binder, laying it before Sonic. The label on the front read 'Home-Ec.' _Huh, he's really on top of everything, isn't he?_

"The 'plan'," Shadow began, neglecting to concede Sonic eye contact, "Is for you to look through this budget for our…" He paused, wanting to find any other word that would distance him further from the hedgehog across from him. "Our hypothetical household, which I've mostly completed on my own."

Shadow pulled out a printed spreadsheet, listing different categories of expenses and incomes, with half of it filled out with his semi-legible handwriting. "I've done the hard part; I already calculated our gross monthly income versus our net monthly income, and estimated cost of living expenses like rent and utilities based off my own."

The longer Shadow droned on, the more Sonic's own understanding was pushed to its limits. _Oh god, more math._ In his life, Sonic had never had to think or worry about finances. He and Tails were always taken care of by their parents, even now allowing them a bit of spending money here and there. Sonic really had no idea how money worked.

Shadow, finally looking up to catch a glimpse of Sonic, saw the stupefied look of someone who definitely hadn't understood a single word of his explanation. For a moment, he wanted to berate the freshman as he always felt inclined to. But if he ever wanted to make it through this semester, he knew he needed to exercise more restraint. Rolling his eyes with a sigh, he went simpler. "This box here. It has the amount of money left over after all the essential… stuff is taken care of. Understand?"

Sonic, a little ashamed at his obvious lack of knowledge, slowly nodded his head, "...yes."

"Okay. Now, your job is to take this money and use the rest of it to satisfy the other needs of the household." Shadow slid the paper over to Sonic, who hesitantly grabbed it.

"Right. Got it!" Sonic, trying to push away his building anxiety, gave Shadow a wink and a thumbs up to reassure him. Shadow, unimpressed, pulled out another binder from his bag, labeled 'Med: Organic Chem.' _Med, huh? Guess that explains the Biochem stuff._

"I'll be working on this. Please, do try to keep quiet," he gave a noticeably exhausted plea.

"Sure thing, buddy," Sonic winked once more. Shadow gave one more eye roll, for good measure.

Sonic hummed thoughtfully, twirling his pencil through his fingers. He figured food would be easy enough to figure out. Though, it occurred to him that he never really paid any mind to how much he actually spent on food. Like, ever. "Well, surely I can survive on ten dollars a month for food, right," he wondered in a hushed tone, writing the number in with little hesitation.

This grabbed Shadow's attention.

"And 15 dollars for amenities should do the trick," he quickly scribbled in, with the carefree tone of a child.

 _Oh no. He's being serious._

Suddenly, In a little under two minutes, Sonic had finished filling in the left over blanks on the spreadsheet. Slamming his pencil down, he pushed the page back to Shadow.

"Done. And it's not even 6:30," he said, completely sure of himself, folding his arms back behind his head. There were a few moments of silence before he registered the utter horror in Shadow's face. "What?"

Shadow couldn't think. The sheer idiocy and gall causing his own brain to short out for a moment. "Have you… have you ever even set foot in a grocery store? In what world—" he stopped, processing any conceivable way this could be okay to anyone.

Sonic's face dropped, a wave of shame running through him for a second time that day. "Well… I—uh, I mean—" He stumbled, lacking the words to defend himself. He hadn't even really put that much thought into what he wrote; he just wanted to get it finished.

"For a household of two adults, ten dollars could hardly sustain two days, and that's assuming you're wanting to subsist on rice and cup noodles. And fifteen dollars could maybe buy shampoo and soap, but then what about detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper—"

"Okay, okay! I get it! I'm an idiot!" Sonic snapped out in a heated mixture of frustration and self-defeat. Shadow fell silent, blinking at Sonic's sudden 180. Sonic stared at the table, eyes darting between the stains on the wood, too embarrassed to make eye contact. "...You don't have to rub it in."

The confidence had fled from his eyes, shoulders tensing ever so slightly. He was quiet for longer than Shadow had ever seen him. Much like that time at the bar when Shadow had asked him about his major.

Shadow let out a breath.

"... Look—" Shadow grabbed an eraser, rubbing away Sonic's answers. He leaned over the table, turning the page in Sonic's direction. "We can break these down logically."

Sonic hesitantly grabbed at his pencil.

"On average, I spend five dollars on food in one day, as I don't eat out." Shadow visibly softened a bit, internally channeling all those times he'd tutored a frustrated Maria in algebra. "So, let's assume the same applies to you. That puts it at roughly ten dollars a day for the both of us."

Sonic nodded slowly, beginning to come back to himself. As much as he hated needing the help, there was a reassurance sprinkled into Shadow's usually exhausted tone—a softness to his tired eyes. He kept his voice carefully even, quietly patient. It was probably just him taking pity on Sonic, not wanting this to take any longer than it had to, but he appreciated the rare moment of Shadow's kindness.

"Therefore, at ten dollars a day for roughly 30 days, in a month the budget for food should be—"

"300 dollars," Sonic excitedly shouted. Shadow threw a hand over Sonic's mouth, shushing him. Carefully, he glanced around to make sure no one had heard.

After he was sure no one was around, he looked back down to Sonic, whose eyes betrayed the cheeky grin currently covered by Shadow's palm.

Shadow quickly removed his hand, tucking it into his jacket pocket. He looked away, his usual look of disdain peppered with a red blush.

"Yes," he coughed, "That is correct," picking up again, ignoring the last few seconds. Sonic couldn't help but keep smiling.

They continued on like this, working each one out together. Eventually Sonic was even able to offer more realistic numbers. "How about $150 on entertainment? I always end up going out a few times a week."

"Entertainment is wasteful. It'd be better to put that towards insurance or savings," Shadow said cooly. He at least seemed less annoyed now, voice less strained.

"Alright, gramps, I'll compromise then. $100 to entertainment, $50 to health insurance," Sonic teased, filling in the last two blanks. Shadow grumbled, but chose not to argue. "Now, we add them all together?"

"I'll do it. You have to subtract the income from the expenses for your final total," he said, beginning to total it all into his phone's calculator. He'd never admit it to himself, but he was actually enjoying this. A little. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little curious about Sonic after today's display. But, not curious enough.

"Thanks! If it wasn't obvious, numbers aren't really my thing," he joked, rubbing the back of his head.

Shadow didn't respond, instead focusing in on his calculation, which wasn't exactly working out.

"Dammit. We have a defic—not enough funds. We have to adjust everything else," he sighed, frustrated at the prospect of staying here longer.

"Really? That doesn't seem right," Sonic leaned in closer to see Shadow's phone. "Can I see it real quick?"

Dubious, Shadow handed over his older model smartphone. Sonic looked at it for a few seconds. "Hmm… that sure is a negative number," he deduced. Shadow was unimpressed. "But, our income is a higher number than our expenses. So, I'm no mathematician here, but shouldn't subtracting the smaller number from the bigger number give us a positive number?"

Shadow stared at him, and then at the spreadsheet. As soon as it hit him, a deep red blush rose to his face. _Subtract the_ _ **expenses**_ _from the_ _ **income**_ _..._ He had made such a basic mistake. He leaned his face into his palm, taking a few seconds to repair his pride.

He coughed, blaming it on his exhaustion.

"...Indeed you are correct," he shamefully admitted. "It seems… I have failed you."

Sonic chuckled at this. "Hey now, no need to be so dramatic! It's only fair we both make mistakes, right?" He handed back his phone. "Nobody's perfect," he winked.

Shadow hated that saying. Anything below perfection wasn't worth the time. "Whatever," he mumbled. Looking down at his phone, Shadow noticed that his messages were open instead of the calculator—a brand new message tab opened, with an outgoing message already sent. The name at the top read 'The Miscreant.'

 _That little_ —

Sonic met his glare with smirk. "Well, there was no other way I was gonna get your number."

Shadow immediately opened his mouth to object, but Sonic cut him off with a hand raised in a classic 'scout's honor' pose. "I promise to only use this for Very Official Homework Things™—nothing else."

Shadow let out a resigned breath. Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. "Fine. You win."

"Haha, yes," Sonic pumped his fist, beaming. Shadow, as much as he hated it, realized the convenience in being able to contact him, especially if they were forced to actually work together on the rest of this tedious task list. But the mere thought of letting this track star golden boy anywhere near his bubble—reserved only for the three people that mattered in his life—unsettled him. Attempting to escape any further socialization with his newfound partner, Shadow announced that they were finished and scooped up his binders to began packing his bag.

In his shuffling, a few papers slid out of his home-ec binder and fluttered to the tacky carpet below. "Shit," he whispered.

"I gotcha, buddy." In an instant, Sonic had plucked them from the ground.

"Stop calling me buddy," Shadow said flatly, holding his hand out for his scattered papers.

Before he returned them, though, Sonic's eye was caught by the paper on top of the pile. It seemed to be a printout of the previous budget he had worked on.

"200 bucks a month on sneakers and chili dogs, huh? Aw, Shads, you know me too well, already," Sonic jokingly fawned in Shadows direction.

"Shut it," Shadow snapped, snatching the papers from Sonic's hands and fighting the wave of embarrassment that rolled through him. Sonic giggled, getting more joy out of teasing Shadow than he'd anticipated. "You're forbidden from calling me that as well." He snapped his binder shut, keeping his eyes down as he shoved it back in his backpack.

"Alright, alright. I shouldn't be so mean. You really helped me out today. It was...nice. Thank you," Sonic beamed, genuine appreciation shining through. The sincerity of this sent a heat to Shadow's cheeks (how many times was he going to blush tonight?!); perhaps the freshman was on his way to maturity just yet. "And, y'know, you're kinder than you look, under all that brooding and edginess. It's cute."

 _Perhaps not._ "Do not confuse my efforts for this class as any form of kindness in your favor, kid." Turning his back to Sonic, Shadow slunk toward the library entrance, eager for some much needed alone time.

"Whatever you say, Shads," Sonic breathed, shaking his head with a smile.

Along with his growing annoyance, Shadow felt a slight stuttering in his chest. It was uncomfortable. Perhaps his stress was taking its toll on his body. _Must be._


	15. Chapter 15

**Sonic**

"Oh cool! They have the new Tomatopotamus VR game! Now with new Blast Processing technology!? Tails, we gotta go check it out," Sonic excitedly pointed out the poster on the front window of the aging Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Center and Pizzeria™ (though they all called it Eggman's to save on syllables). Sonic was as kinetic as a pinball trapped between two bumpers, bouncing with each step he took.

Tails always loved to be around Sonic when he got like this. His endearingly childish demeanor always balanced well with Tails' premature maturity. "Now Sonic, you know 'Blast Processing' is just a gimmick with no real defined meaning or—"

"Ah ah ah," Sonic rose a finger to Tails' mouth. "The illusion is all I have, Tails. Let me revel."

Tails chuckled as Knuckles fondly shook his head, absently twirling his car keys around his fingers. "Alright you two, enough talk. It's time for us to clean out Dr. Eggman for all he's got." He placed an arm around each of them as they stepped together towards the sliding glass doors.

"No prize unclaimed, no score left unbroken," Sonic raised a fist in the air, chanting their pledge to the heavens. "Tonight, we dine on overpriced, yet mediocre pizza!" The others joined him, giving one last hoot before breaching the threshold of their next conquest, ignoring the dry look of the overworked teen at the front counter.

Sonic grinned as he basked in the glow of blinking arcade machines, the different colors bouncing off his quills, tinting the blue different shades of purple, magenta, green. Dr. Eggman's had been slowly declining in the last handful of years, its local patrons leaving for newer and better. Honestly, it was a wonder the place hadn't gone under completely. But, still, Sonic loved it all the same. It was something of a hotspot for the gang when they were in high school—countless weekends spent driving up to Green Hill in Knuckles' beat-up car, spending hours wasting tokens trying to break their last record.

As much as the titular owner, whose real name was robot-something, hated Sonic and the gang for always cleaning out his prize corner, their posse seemed to be the only thing that ever kept this place open.

They hadn't been here since graduation, and Sonic was itching for the familiar nostalgia of the rigged games. He looked around, trying to decide which machine to try first. This was exactly the break he needed. His gaze flicked down to Tails—the break they all needed, really.

Knuckles turned to them, spreading his arms wide with a smirk. "Divide and conquer?"

Sonic and Tails immediately nodded enthusiastically, wasting no time to race off to their favorite machines—they knew the drill.

Knuckles strode over to the tiny red punching bag dangling from a flickering machine, already squaring against the Hammer Glove 5000. Tails sat before the Casino Paradise, a totally-not-blackjack machine, already doing the mental math to outwit the machine's A.I.

Sonic found himself in front of a board 7 colored gems, blinking enticingly. The Super Chaos Blaster Master. He put his hands on his hips, staring down the game's LED gems. "Hello, old friend." He slid a token into the slot, stretching his arms as the chiptune music played through the crackly speakers. The aim of the game was to slap each gem that was turned on before they turned off. The more you hit, the more tickets. Hit them all…

"Jackpot!" Sonic had fingers faster than a hummingbird's wings, with even faster reflexes to boot. He could drain this machine for all the tickets it had in mere minutes. At least he would if the machine didn't fail his last hit for 15-20 games straight. It used to take 50 games for him to hit a jackpot, when him and the gang came here more frequently. "Huh, guess old Eggman had thought we were gone for good. Sorry to disappoint, Doc, but Sonic the Hedgehog will always be around to best your machines."

Three Jackpots later, the machine was spent, all the gems turning red, displaying a flashing out of order message. "Well, looks like I'm the real Blaster Master here! Booyah," Sonic celebrated his first success of the night with a little jig. With his string of tickets secured under his arms, Sonic began to scope out any other games he'd be fast enough to take on.

Surprisingly, there were actually a fair bit of people hanging around here. Either kids running wild from their exhausted parents catching some Z's in the dining area or young adults having a nostalgic and light-hearted date night. It seemed like a weird place to have a date, at least to Sonic. Though, they seemed like they were having fun—laughing and trying to beat each others' scores, holding each other close as they carefully chose a stuffed bear from the crane machines, grinning as they gave soft pecks on blushing cheeks—

"Sonic?"

Sonic was startled as a voice sounded from behind him, almost dropping his streamers of prize-winning paper.

He whipped around as the pink hedgehog beside him gave a smile. Her quills were longer now, brushed neatly to frame her face, but Sonic would recognize those green eyes anywhere.

"Amy?" How long had it been? Sonic could hardly forget the day Amy Rose had transferred back in junior year of high school. They had known each other for years, but even that wasn't enough to suppress the inevitable falling out that always seemed to come with a friend changing schools.

"Oh my god! It's been ages! Your mom told my mom that you and Tails were going to GHU, but I kept forgetting to get in touch with you guys! So, how've you been? You liking Green Hill," she shouted over the arcade noise. The pure enthusiasm that coated her every word was infectious. Amy was the genuine type, always completely herself. Sonic had always wondered how a person could have such an open and honest heart, to the point where you couldn't help but do the same, laying your own truths bare.

"Yeah, it's been a while! Honestly, it's been a bit rough—had some troubles adjusting these past couple months. But, I think I'm getting my sea legs now, slowly but surely. I've also meant to, like, text you, but things have been crazy busy!" If he was being honest, he'd had a more selfish reason for not keeping up with Amy then he'd like to admit to himself. Her overbearingly caring, almost nagging attitude (not to mention her less-than-subtle crush on Sonic) had made Sonic pause whenever he thought about checking in on her.

He'd never really liked how she'd always just happened to be around his next classes, or how she'd always just happened to have extra lunch for him. It was beyond kind, and he really appreciated it, but as much as he loved her as a friend, he couldn't reciprocate the puppy-love she clearly felt for him. Her moving, as much as it pained him, gave him a guilty sense of relief, not having to be around a person he could never really make happy.

Amy gave a laugh, bright and loud, grin spreading behind her hand. "Glad to see you're just as transparent as ever."

Sonic blushed, suddenly feeling caught. "Whad'ya mean? I seriously meant to text you the other day—"

"Don't worry, you don't have to make excuses—I know I was _suuuper_ cringey back then. Don't blame you for avoiding _that_ Amy." Her sugar-sweet grin briefly fell into an awkward wince as they both reminisced on said cringe. She shook it off before diving right back in. "But yeah, brief recap—I enrolled at GHU, dropped out of GHU, got a job in design, did some _serious_ soul-searching, and finally got a better haircut. So yeah—things are better now."

Sonic was left blinking in the wake of Amy's mile-a-minute catch-up monologue, brain stuttering to process the years of info delivered in seconds. Before he could open his mouth to say something objectively intelligent like "cool," Knuckles and Tails were striding over behind him.

"Amy," Knuckles shouted, immediately sweeping up her small frame into a patented Knuckles bear hug.

"Oh man, Amy's here too?" Tails grinned, peering up at his newly-reunited group of friends. "Now it's really just like old times."

Amy mussed Tails' bangs as she was released from being swallowed in Knuckles' arms. "Not _just_ like—you have got to stop growing up so much, kiddo! It's making me feel like an old lady!" Coming from anyone else, it would seem like a critique—a comment on Tails' premature maturity. But her kind, motherly smile shone with a kind of pride and Tails blushed in its light.

"What are you even doing here," Knuckles finally asked, cocking his head.

Amy's eyes flicked back to Knuckles, realizing she'd momentarily forgotten her reason for coming. "Oh, yeah! I'm here with my girlfriend and her best friend!"

All three boys paused.

As if sensing their impending introduction, two figures padded up beside Amy—a cat with sharp eyes and soft purple fur and a gray hedgehog with a messy head of quills.

"Blaze, Silver, meet Tails, Knuckles, and Sonic."

* * *

The dining area of Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Center and Pizzeria™ was anything but Incredible. Or interstellar. And, honestly, only the slightest bit amusing, as it seemed to be plucked straight out of a period in time decades before any of its inhabitants were born. Dr. Eggman must have either enjoyed the "rustic" (ie, decrepit) and "retro" (ie, outdated) aesthetic enough to preserve it so carefully, or more realistically, didn't have the money to shoot for anything newer.

The newly-expanded gang had decided to mosey on over to one of the cleaner booths in the dining area, the seams of the seats either burst from years of rambunctious children or duct taped as any penny-pinching restaurateur would do. Sonic and his crew sat at one side, Amy and hers on the other, a "fresh" order of pizza sharing the space between them.

The conversations started out light enough, Amy mostly catching her companions up on her high school years with the boys. Sonic couldn't help but wince as she recounted some of his more embarrassing behaviors. "Sonic even went through a rock phase, bought a guitar and everything! What was the name of your 'band' going to be again? 'Sonic- something or other'? Man. It's gonna kill me if I can't remember it!"

"Oh, come on Ames, that was so long ago," Sonic laughed, the kind of awkward laugh of someone seriously wanting to let their old cringy past die a quick and painless death. "I can barely even remember—"

"It was 'The Sonic Underground Experience,' right?" Tails, chomping on an overwhelmingly cheesy slice of pizza, casually tossed out the name, seemingly blind to Sonic's inner anguish.

Sonic instantly grieved his inability to physically melt into the floor. "Nah, I don't think that's right. I'd never come up with such a dumb-edgy name."

"No, no, I clearly remember you spending hours writing different names down until you found the perfect blend of 'cool' and…' totally rockin'—your exact words." Sonic gave Tails a strained kind of smile, with a mouth that said 'haha, isn't that nice,' but eyes that said 'stop.'

"Ha- _ha_ , well it's such a perfect name that I don't really see the need to ever mention it again, right? I mean, no sense tampering with diamonds, am I right," Sonic tried to give an on-brand Cool Guy Laugh™ to play off of, but it just came out like an awkward giggle of a person desperate to regain any of his credibility.

"That'll do Sonic, that'll do," Knuckles patted Sonic on the back.

Sonic immediately deflated, slumping in his booth with a barely-disguised pout.

Already inhaling another slice of pizza, Knuckles finally turned the conversation in another direction—a direction that blessedly led away from a teenaged Sonic."So, how about you two? Blaze and Sliver, was it? You two go to GHU, too?"

"Um, it's Silver, actually," the sheepish hedgehog, who actually hadn't spoken until now, quietly piped up.

"Oh, oops. Sorry! I'm terrible with names. Took me months to learn Sonic's. " Knuckles chuckled off his mistake.

"No it didn't—"

"Anyways! You guys in school," He asked again, elbowing Sonic's arm.

"Yeah, we both go to GHU," Blaze cooly said, with a voice as calm and collected as a person twice her age. She had a surprisingly solid poker-face, not really leaning one way or the other in terms of emotion—a sharp contrast to both of her companions, who had their hearts practically embroidered on their sleeves. "I'm studying history, with a focus on Ancient Egypt. Silver here is studying Psychology."

"Oh cool," Tails chimed in, always eager to talk academics of any kind. "What's your favorite theory or area of study?"

Blaze smirked, a devious, knowing curl of her lips. "Well, I don't really know myself, but I sure know what Silver loves studying."

"Blaaaaaze, could you please not get into that now," Silver blushed, too embarrassed to look anyone across the table in the eyes. Amy and Blaze giggled at some inside joke unknown to the other half of the party

"Huh? What's so funny," Sonic, now munching on the last slice of the all too quickly rubber-like pizza.

"It's nothing," Amy laughed, playfully swatting Blaze on the shoulder. "Blaze has been needling Silver over this guy he's got a major crush on."

"Oh, really," Sonic asked absently. It was a little strange to him. The concept of crushes always felt somewhat...foreign to him. He had grown up hearing people talk about them, gushing about some new kid in their seventh period, but he couldn't say he'd ever had one. It just wasn't something that ever crossed his mind (something that the self-proclaimed 'ladies' man' Knuckles had balked at when he first met him).

A teenaged Sonic had laughed off all the prepubescent talk of sexuality and romance, taking the cliched thirteen-year-old response of calling it gross. And then he just...kept doing that until it became the norm.

His eyes flicked down to Amy and Blaze's hands linked so casually on the table. Seeing Amy's thumb absently brush the back of Blaze's palm, it felt just as distant of a concept as it did years ago.

But something about seeing them love so naturally made Sonic wonder…

"Yeah… it's stupid," Silver mumbled.

"They met when this guy was taking psych classes for his med major or whatever," Blaze supplied, seemingly ignoring Silver's want to curl in on himself. "And since then, Silver's been lovesick as hell for his brooding ass." She gave a teasing smile as Silver dodged a pinch to his cheek with a practiced ease from years of friendship. "It's kind of annoyingly cute."

"Huh…" Sonic thought for a second. _Brooding? Med Major? Naaaaaaah, it can't be._ "This guy… is he also a hedgehog? A little older? Black and red quills, with eyes that are permanently set to 'disdain'?"

"Uh… yeah, actually," Silver seemed a little surprised at Sonic's spot-on guess.

"You know this guy," Amy, also curious about Sonic's oddly specific details, wanted in on whatever info Sonic could give on Silver's mystery crush.

"Haha, weeelllll, I'd say know is a strong word." Sonic laughed a little at the idea of someone as nice and soft as this Silver guy liking someone as antisocial and cold as Shadow. "His names Shadow, right?"

Silver nodded, cheeks tinted pink with a subtle mixture of glee and embarrassment. "I sat next to him in my intro psych class. He was always so… stoic and pensive," Silver, lost in his memory, smiled to himself, seeming to forget his company.

Sonic was still a little shocked at this. _Really? Shadow? That grump?_

"Shadow, huh," Knuckles, looking about ready to grab another pizza, seemed equally amused by this development. "Well, Sonic, you said you were partnered up with the hunk, right? Why not give Silver some pointers?"

"Oh, please, no, that's not necessary," Silver spoke quickly, desperately trying to steer the conversation another direction before he combusted.

"Hey now," Blaze held up a hand, "You should take this opportunity, Silvy. You'll never get anywhere just pining for him behind an espresso machine."

"Yeah! C'mon, Sonic, dish! Tell us everything you can," Amy leaned in, ready to soak up every ounce that Sonic could give her. Silver, still too ashamed to look up, seemed at least a little interested, just as curious as Amy.

Sonic, always happy to help, welcomed the chance to do some good. Though, he didn't know how much help he could be. Romance was already a foreign concept to him, and each interaction he'd had with Shadow had been nuclear at best. "Hmm, he'd be a pretty hard nut to crack, I'll give you that much for free," Sonic crossed his arms, looking to the ceiling for insight.

In the past month, all Sonic could get from Shadow was insults and sneers, with the only exception being this evening's meeting. "Well, from what I can gather, he's super busy all the time, doesn't much care for nonsense, is suuuuuuuper cranky, but I think his bark is much worse than his bite—"

Sonic spilled every little mundane thing he seemed to pick-up on, with little regard for how relevant it could actually be to Silver's ambitions. Silver, wide-eyed in astonishment, leaned closer in, hanging onto every word that left Sonic's mouth, as though it were gospel.

"—he really has it out for slackers, I'm not sure he's had a good night's sleep in months—oh, and he drinks, uh, what's it called… oh, Old Fashioneds, that's it!" He finally stopped for a moment to take a sip of his drink, finally taking notice of everyone's dazed expressions. "What?"

"Taking notes, were you?" Amy laughed, delighted by Sonic's steadfast candid nature. "Does Silver have to worry about some competition?"

"What? Naaaaaaah, no way! Not in a million years!" Sonic laughed at the very idea of liking someone so hilariously edgy. "Even if I did crush on the guy, I can't imagine there's anyone on this earth that could get through to that grumpus. No offense, Silver."

"Uh, none taken," Silver awkwardly laughed, slightly intimidated by his worsening chances with Shadow.

"You sure about that, Sonic? You two were getting pretty personal that one time at the bar," Knuckles poked at Sonic, always enjoying the chance to tease him.

"Wait, what happened at the bar," Tails, who was absent for that heated exchange, asked the question that seemed to be on everyone else's mind.

"Nothing 'happened'! We got into a testy tipsy quarrel over nothing, the end." It didn't bother him, exactly. Being teased like this always came from a place of amusement, and he could roll with the punches. But he was fairly certain Shadow hated him, and it was uncomfortable to Sonic talking about him like this, behind his back. _Don't need any more bad karma with Shadow._ "Besides, not really into dudes, per se."

"Well, don't be too sure about that," Amy chuckled in Sonic's direction, giving him a dubious eye. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen you with any girls, anyway," Amy pondered aloud.

Sonic felt struck. He really didn't want to have this conversation tonight. Amy, thankfully, could read Sonic loud and clear. "And I could have sworn I was straight, until I met Blaze."

"Aw shucks," Blaze pulled Amy in closer, resting her arm at her waist.

"Ahhh, no, stop, my hearts gonna burst from all this cuteness," Knuckles grasped his chest and put a hand dramatically over his eyes, shielding himself from the pure love between the two. Amy stuck her tongue out at him as he scooted out of the booth, looking to Tails, "Wanna get some prizes, kiddo?"

"Sure," Tails hopped out to follow along. He paused, turning to Blaze and Amy, smiling, "I think you two make a great pair."

"Awww, thank you Tails," Amy returned an equally heartfelt smile to Tails.

"You know, they're probably gonna close soon, we should probably exchange our tickets as well, guys," Silver got out as well, holding onto their own winnings.

"Yeah, might as well clean-up," Amy got up along with everyone else.

"I got it!" Sonic hopped up, grabbing plates and cups, heading to the trash cans. "And hey, Silver! For real, I could try and help you out with Shadow, if you want. I see the guy pretty often."

"Oh, really," Silver beamed, genuinely happy at the offer. "You don't have to, but I'd, uh, appreciate it."

"Yeaaaah, of course! Any friend of Amy's is a friend of mine. Anything you wanna know about the guy, let me know and I'll find it out… maybe," Sonic held out a fist to Silver, who in turn gave an awkwardly weak fist bump back.

After spending their earnings on oversized plushies and dollar store candy, the whole gang loitered some more in the parking lot, uneager to end the evening just yet. Blaze and Knuckles talked about archeology stuff, Silver told Tails about his thesis project, and Sonic, unable to add anything of merit to any of those discussions, sat on the curb playing with his newly-purchased paddleball.

Taking a seat at his side, Amy decided to check in on him. "You alright? It's not like you to sit out like this."

"And miss out on this sick paddle ball action? Nah," Sonic joked continuing his ball-hitting crusade. He didn't want to admit the fact that he felt too intimidated to join in on the more academic and nuanced conversations. He'd been made a fool of enough for one night.

"Is that so?" Amy may have known there was more to his childish antics, though if she did, she chose not to push him on it.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the tapping sound of the paddle ball punctuating each passing second. Sonic wanted to ask her the question that had been burning in his brain the past few hours, but hesitated, not wanting to possibly ruin a solid evening. So, he took a more roundabout direction.

"... Soooo, how'd you and Blaze meet?"

"Well, about around when I dropped out, I was restless—kept...wanting something, but I didn't know what. So, after a slightly tipsy impulse decision in the middle of the night, I downloaded a dating app."

Sonic blinked in surprise, but stayed silent. With her quiet, kind nature, Amy seemed like the kind for a more traditional, old-world kind of romance—a chance meeting, subtle flirting, love notes and letters and dates. Something about the quick, impersonal nature of dating apps didn't seem to fit Amy's style.

He glanced up at the new Amy he saw in front of him—years away from any version of her he had known.

Then again, maybe it just didn't fit _his_ picture of Amy.

"Can't tell you exactly why," she continued, "but when it asked preferences I clicked both." She paused. "Maybe it was always there and I just ignored it—I don't know. And then, after weeks of ignoring messages and rejecting matches, I got a message from Blaze, and I don't know—something just...clicked. Like...she was it."

She let out a laugh in the quiet. "I dunno, maybe it's silly."

Sonic broke from his paddle ball-induced hypnosis. "It's not silly," he immediately corrected. "I think it's...sweet." Relationships had always escaped Sonic. Amy wasn't entirely off, he had never dated anyone. Wasn't his thing. He had plenty of love in his life—family, friends, track. Romance (the word felt weird, sticky, even now) had never really fit into the equation. Or, at least, he never cared enough to make room for it.

Amy smiled, soft and loving.

Sonic wrapped the string of the paddle ball around his finger, still fidgeting absently.

He gave a soft laugh, a breathy sound—a defense mechanism to defuse tension. "Probably sounds a bit stupid, but I didn't even know you were gay." The words rushed off his tongue before he gave them permission to.

Amy giggled. She had probably heard some variation of this exact thing a million times from a million different people—he knew how it had to sound. Once again, he admired her endless patience, not smacking him for sticking his proverbial foot in his literal mouth.

"Honestly, babe, me neither. But, y'know, life happens and you just kind of go along for the ride."

Sonic smiled up at Amy, a rush of nostalgia filling his chest to the brim, bittersweet and warm. "Who'd've ever thought the ride would end up here, huh Ames?"

Amy looked over at Blaze, her eyes soft as she watched her head tilt towards the sky in laughter. "Yeah," she said, almost too quiet to hear.

After the night threatened to stretch on into the next day and the chill of the wind got under their jackets, the two groups split for the night, with shared hugs and smiles and phone numbers for their newly-made friends. Sonic did intend to make good on his promise to Silver, boldly telling him he'd even flirt with him by proxy. Silver politely turned it down, though Blaze seemed all for it, already planning and strategizing like flirting was a heist and Shadow was their treasure hidden behind cliché security lasers.

Opting to let Tails have the front seat on their way home, Sonic stretched out on the faded leather of the backseat. Head against the cool window, his eyes followed the moon above as Knuckles' and Tails' sleepy conversations drifted in and out of his head—a white noise for his thoughts. Sonic wasn't one to look back, never wanting to waste time moving forward as fast as life would let him. But tonight had brought a literal blast from the past, the changes of the years personified in Amy. She was one of the few people who could see right through Sonic— _really_ see him, despite his cool, easygoing persona. It was one of the few things that hadn't changed.

He felt small under her kind, knowing gaze, and he didn't like the things it pulled from him.

He caught his hazy reflection in the window as it flicked in and out between passing streetlights, trying to find the things that had changed about him.

He didn't find much.


	16. Chapter 16

**Shadow**

"— _And if you call now, we'll throw in our new patented (patent pending) Shovel Claws with any order of the Aqua Shield Pro! Aqua Shield Pro; shield your lawn with the power of water!"_

Strewn out, face buried in a cushion, Shadow didn't care how long it had been since he tiredly drove home, practically crawled through his door, and finally plopped himself on the couch. He had flicked on the TV, intending to find something to watch—something to pass the time. But now he was stuck on the white noise of infomercials, eyes only half-following the movement of the overly-excited announcers on screen.

Rolling to his back, he looked up at his ceiling fan, the hypnotic motion threatening to rob him of his last shreds of consciousness. As much as he wanted to just shut off his brain, he had never known how to flip that switch. His thoughts were a radical train with no station in sight.

His gaze traced the shape of a water stain in the corner where the wall met his aging popcorn ceiling, vague restlessness melting into a weird malaise. He glanced at the papers neatly stacked at the corner of his coffee table—assignments already completed days in advance. And it wasn't like he could get ahead on that stupid home ec list without Sonic—that much was made incredibly clear.

There was a rare lull in activity where he could finally take a breath.

And he hated it.

The minutes bled into hours, moving like molasses. Anxiety prodded him to move, but he just...didn't. A pile of yellow yarn sat curled in his knitting basket—a new blanket for Maria. He could—he _should_ —work on it, have it ready for when he saw her next.

His eyes flicked back to the TV instead.

Too many hours to fill. He let out a sigh, immediately feeling heavy with the temptation to just give up and sleep—if he could even fall asleep.

Self-appointed promises flicked through his head—things he should be working on.

He should, but he can't, he can't, he _can't_ —

 _I…can't stop_.

He let his eyes close, as if blocking out one stimulus would quiet the others.

 _Lazy._

 _Selfish._

 _You're wasting time._

"Stop," he moaned aloud. The twisted voice of his anxiety didn't listen.

 _Every second you spend on your ass is a second closer to Maria's—_

"Please, just let me rest," he begged his vexing perfectionism, desperate to just feel a moment of peace, burying his head under a throw pillow to try and gain any control over his head.

 _Maria is wasting away, and you have the gall to sit here and whine—_

" _Stop_ ," he finally shouted, throwing his pillow at the wall. _...I'm doing the best I can._ Tears began to collect on his lids. He curled in on himself, jaw tensing as he tried to stop the dam from breaking.

What more could he do…?

He let out a breath, wincing at how shaky it sounded. He hated caving into his emotions like this. Maria was always so strong. And the shame of succumbing just made him more frustrated.

He knew what he needed to be, what he _should_ be.

But he was still just a person—he couldn't _always_ be expected to be that, could he?

His selfishness turned his stomach.

 _You don't deserve to be happy. Not unless she's happy._

Shadow finally got up, unable to fight his inner voice. Wiping away his tears, he picked up his crochet hook. Winding the yarn through his fingers, he started up where he left off.

The monotony of casting and pulling each crochet mixed with Shadow's blurry focus on the television into a slurry of mind numbing sensations. The half-focus he shared between both activities at least seemed to create a barrier from his inner-self's derisive words.

Time passed, and eventually he met the end of his yarn ball. The blanket was still only half-finished, but a sore spot had begun growing in the small of Shadow's back. It wasn't painful, but when accompanied by his stinging dried out eyes, it meant it was time for bed.

Looking at the clock, it was already 11:00. Tomorrow may be a Sunday, but Shadow still had to be at work by 9:00 a.m.

The rumbling of his stomach had gone unnoticed for most of the night. It was only then he realized he had forgotten to eat anything tonight. To be honest, he hadn't had much outside of a cookie and some coffee for 'lunch.' He'd also absently snacked on some chocolates in his receptionist candy bowl at work, but his body was craving something akin to actual food now. But, he didn't feel up to making anything now as it was.

" _Oh, Bernadette! Please, stay! I love you, I've always—_ " _CLICK._ Shadow turned off the T.V.

The screen faded into a mirror of black, hazily reflecting his bleary, unfocused eyes, still red-rimmed with tears stubbornly unshed. His gaze traced the dark circles that seemed to have made a permanent home under his lash line. The frown etched on his muzzle deepened as he tried to find some piece he was truly happy with.

He couldn't.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sonic**

Wind rushing. Blurring colors. The world flying by him at top speeds.

The flashes of cameras twinkled like stars in the crowd of onlookers, all trying to turn a pair of green eyes their way.

The glorious weight of multiple gold medals hung around Sonic's neck as he grinned from the place on the podium.

 _#1_. _Winner. Olympic gold medalist._

He did it. He did it. He did it.

He felt like he could burst from the rush of excitement in his chest—like his ribcage couldn't physically contain the moment.

This is what flying was like, he imagined.

"Sonic, Sonic, over here," a voice called from the crowd.

His eyes landed on a smiling pink hedgehog, pen poised above her notepad, question at the ready.

His brow furrowed as he recognized her with a sudden jolt. "Amy?"

The call of her name seemed to go over her head as she barreled forward. "You just became the youngest Olympic athlete to win this many gold medals in your category. So what's next for our famous blue blur?"

Sonic's mind went suddenly blank. Everything besides this moment was suddenly white noise, blurry, vacant. He had won; he had gotten here—what else was there?

He panicked as he tried to come up with something, anything to say as an answer. "Uhhh, I'm going to Eggman's?"

The crowd paused where they stood, all silence and befuddled expressions.

Amy only blinked before stepping forward with her next question. "I think everyone here is wondering, how did you get here? What tips do you have for everyone out there who wants to get where you are someday? What's your normal diet and exercise regime look like?"

The flood of questions hit Sonic like a tidal wave sweeping his feet out below him.

 _How? How did I get here?_

Words stumbled over his tongue as he tried for a response.

"Umm, well, I guess I jog a lot? And I eat chili dogs, mostly?"

Amy gasped, looking scandalized. "Really? Such a lackluster routine! And chili dogs? How does this high fat diet affect your performance? Surely you still maximize your intake of CarboHydrolic cells, yes?"

"Carbohy-what?" Sonic began to feel heat in his cheeks. He felt as though he was shrinking.

"Your CarboHydrolic cells! Every athlete must consider the amount of CarboHydrolic cells in their system before a big competition! Why, it's just common sense!"

 _What the fuck is she talking about?!_ He felt like she was speaking a different language. He'd never heard of this. Oh god, should he have heard of this?

Eyes were on him. The world felt like it was spiraling. He grasped for the medals on his chest, something to ground him. Nothing was there.

" _Well, obviously before any big race I focus my caloric intake on super-foods like avocados and kale smoothies to maximize the performance of my CarboHydrolic cells."_

Wha— Who was…?

Sonic blinked and suddenly a proud green hawk was standing in his place, shining medals resting upon his chest as he preened under the attention.

 _Jet_.

Sonic balked from his newfound place in the crowd as everyone nodded along to Jet's gospel.

"It's just something any runner should know." A sickeningly charming smile curled its way onto Jet's beak.

"Of course," Amy agreed from beside him, as if it was obvious.

"W-wait," Sonic weakly protested. "Those are my medals."

He was only met with laughter.

"Sure, kid," Jet chuckled derisively. "That's cute. Like you know what you're doing. Come back when you've got a clue."

"But I…" _I do._ The words died on his lips before he could even form them.

 _I mean, don't I?_

 _Do I?!_

He felt weightless, suddenly dropping, panic making his heart race.

 _This is what falling felt like, he imagined._

He was in an ever-quickening free-fall, approaching nowhere fast. An endless abyss.

Until it wasn't.

* * *

Sonic's leg kicked, jolting him awake. The eyes of the crowd and the anxiety of the darkness slowly faded into the form of Tails' bunk above him. He sat staring at the dent his brother's body made in the cheap mattress, fully awake after the terrifying stop.

His breathing was quick, but as reality washed over him, it calmed the pace of his heart as well. He turned over on his bed, looking at the clock on his desk.

5:54 a.m.

The sun wasn't even out yet, darkness still peeking through the slits in the blinds. This was the earliest Sonic had woken up all semester. Honestly, it was probably the earliest he'd woken up since elementary school.

He listened for Tails' slow, sleeping breaths as he shifted in his blankets.

 _At least that chaos didn't wake him._

He'd feel worse if he'd made Tails lose sleep over some dumb dream.

And honestly, he wasn't feeling up to being questioned about it.

...Though he may have to ask Tails about 'CarboHydrolic cells' when he woke up.

He let out a breath and tossed the blankets off of him, figuring any attempts at getting more sleep would just be in vain at this point.

He shook himself off—might as well make the most of his restless energy.

He grabbed his favorite running shoes from where he had kicked them off the night before, sliding them over his feet. Grabbing a jacket, his wallet and his phone, he put in his earbuds and headed out.

Sonic trotted around campus at a steady pace, breath visible with each few steps. Fall wasn't in full swing yet, but it was a pretty chilly morning. Sonic didn't mind. The raw heat generated from the activity warmed him and he welcomed the breeze of the cool air.

Not many people were out so early on a Sunday morning, save the occasional fellow jogger. The dim signs of the sun rising left a calm, dusky atmosphere. If it didn't mean having to wake up before noon, Sonic would do this more often. The even pace of his feet and the cheerful music in his ears put his mind at ease.

He did jog regularly. His team would have earlyish runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but never before 8:00. They weren't mandatory, so Sonic usually opted out, instead choosing to roll up to practice whenever he could wake up, and run on his own at night.

He replayed the dream that had startled him awake occasionally, but felt unwilling to mull it over any further. It left him with too many questions he'd never really taken time to consider.

 _How? How DO I get to the Olympics?_

He always assumed if he just tried hard enough, he would get there. He had the drive, and surely he had the talent. Wasn't that enough?

He paused for a moment catching his breath.

 _The Olympics? Is that the endgame?_

In reality, while the Olympics seemed like the natural goal of any athlete, Sonic hadn't even really given it much thought. He wanted to run. That was a fact. And he definitely wanted to win, whatever it was he could. But he didn't even have the first clue about what it took to be a professional athlete.

There was so much he didn't know, and just the scope of it all made him feel weaker. He had high hopes for his future. But whatever that future was was blurry at best.

Snapping back to the present, he began to notice that he had jogged off campus, and into the downtown area of Green Hill proper. It wasn't a particularly big town, most of the buildings had that old-town charm. There was an antique shop, a barber, boutique, donut shop—

"Oh sick, donuts!" Sonic could smell the sickeningly sweet scent of fresh donuts. In that scent were memories. Memories of him and Tails, waking up early, scootering and skateboarding to the local Emerald Hill Donuts. Returning home with a couple bags of donuts to enjoy with their favorite Saturday morning cartoons. It had been a long time since then.

He snuck a glance at his phone—almost 7:00. Tails had always been something of an early riser—might as well make the best of this slow Sunday morning and surprise the kid with this sweet, sweet nostalgic breakfast. It'd be a welcome break from their usual meals of toaster pastries and snack bars.

 _And this at least gives me a convenient excuse for being up so early._

A little bell chimed as Sonic pushed open the door, stepping into the warmth of the shop's small interior. A dark wood countertop sat at the back beside a glass case lined with tray after tray of delicious baked goods. A few college kids and retirees sat scattered amongst the few tables.

An older-looking blonde-furred rabbit wearing a flour-dusted apron looked up at him as he stepped towards the counter.

"Well howdy there, hon! Welcome to Sweet Mountain Donuts," she smiled, as sweet as the pastries she offered. "What can I do ya for?"

Sonic eyed the more...creative-looking donuts—topped with bacon and cereals and various colors of powdered sugar.

 _Well that looks like...a lot_.

Overwhelmed by the choices, Sonic tore his eyes away from the fancier options, resolving to come back here when he actually had the energy to explore this wonderful world of donuts.

For now, he opted for simplicity—something he knew Tails would like.

"Um, just a dozen glazed donuts, please," he said, giving a half-hearted smile, still half-distracted by his whirlwind of a morning.

"Why of course, shuga', comin' right up" she said, sliding the donuts one by one into a large box printed with the bubbly letters of Sweet Mountain's logo. "That'll be eight dollars even," she chimed as she slid the box of donuts his way.

Thankfully, he had just enough cash left in his wallet (something he hadn't even thought to check before stepping in here). He passed a couple bills into her outstretched hand. As he was placing his last two dollar bills in the half-full tip jar, the door gave another ding from the front of the shop.

A familiar douchey laugh rings out—almost a squawk-like cackle.

 _God, why today… or anyday for that matter._

In strides Jet the hawk, head, as always, placed firmly up his own ass.

Sonic sighed. Jet was the last person he needed to see this morning.

What the fuck was he even doing here anyway?

He didn't seem to notice Sonic, instead immediately moving to leer over a poor girl near the entrance, trying to enjoy her breakfast in peace.

He almost gagged. Sonic should have figured Jet was the type to make creepy unwanted advances on random women at donut shops at 7:00 in the morning. Why he'd choose a donut shop of all places was a mystery. _Donuts can't be good for those Carbohydrolic cells, after all._

Sonic shook his head. He didn't have the energy to be condescended at today. Best to just keep his head down and get out of here while he could. Pulling his jacket tighter around himself, he snatched his donuts from the counter, trying to make as quick and as quiet of an escape as possible

Then, halfway to the door, someone shoulder-checked him. Hard.

His leg slipping below him, he stumbled to the ground, losing his grip on his sugary breakfast. He watched as the box popped open and a few donuts tumbled to the ground. A sad smattering of his precious golden rings now lay on the floor. Sonic felt his life draining. _My precious..._

And of course, standing above him was Jet, smirking, hand on one hip. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the rookie track-star himself." He squinted his eyes in mock thought, playacting. "Manic, was it?"

"Sonic, actually," he deadpanned, picking himself off the floor. Normally, he would be firing off witty comebacks already. Jet had this annoying habit of making Sonic's temper shorter than usual. However, the haze of waking up early dulled his wit. "Wouldn't think a five-letter, two-syllable name would be that much trouble for most."

Jet laughed. "Oh shit, sorry man. Guess it's hard to remember the name of the guy who can't even be bothered to show up to morning practice half the time."

He spoke with a twisted sarcasm, his apparent love of patronization making his eyes glint.

He was waiting to get a rise out of Sonic—for him to snap so he could laugh about it with his equally douchey friends later.

 _Don't give him the satisfaction. Don't give him the satisfaction. Don't_ —

"And you're any better? Half the time you're late, and whenever you do show up you just squawk insults at everyone and boast about yourself." _Well shit._

"Well now, this hedgehog's got spikes," Jet laughed, eyeing Sonic up. "Ya'know, I wouldn't be late if I didn't have to put up with asshole rookies like you every practice. Plus, I actually put in the fucking work already. My skill has already skyrocketed past whatever baby shit Big is doing," he actually let out a laugh at the thought of their coach. Geez, did this guy respect _anybody_?

 _Well, himself, I guess._

"Oh, but you're the guy who's going to 'break every record.' You're 'on the fast track to being the star runner on this team.' _Surely_ you can just magically get everything without doing any of that shit, right?" The sarcasm that dripped from those words was thick enough to coat even the donuts in.

Sonic felt his throat tighten, attempting to hide the embarrassment of having his own boastful claims contemptuously thrown back at him.

The subtle shift didn't slip by Jet—he was watching for it.

A grin curled onto his beak. "No, you're right, maybe I should just sit on my ass, instead of busting it at every goddamn practice each week, since that seems to be your winning strategy. And how's that working out for you, huh kiddo?"

Sonic's gaze began to fall towards the donuts still laying on the floor. He knew what Jet was referring to. He had entered GHU with above average times, but since then hadn't improved any. Jet, on the other hand, had just broken his personal best last week.

"Heh, thought as much," Jet scoffed, moving closer towards Sonic. Too close. "You know, ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being the best. Faster than imaginable. And everyday, every minute, every goddamn second I breathe, I am moving towards the unimaginable."

Jet's voice had lowered, though surely the others in the shop, who had ceased talking once this over the top shit show began, could hear him as well as Sonic.

"But hey, I'm nothing if not generous! And hey, we got that big preliminary track meet coming up, so I'll give you some friendly advice from your caring senior," he loudly proclaimed, placing his hand on Sonic's shoulder. Their eyes never breaking contact. "A cute face and natural talent ain't gonna get you diddly squat once you're graduated—ah who am I kidding—once you drop out next semester. So do me a favor." Jet's grip tightened as he leaned in, making Sonic wince. "Either get your ass in gear, or get the fuck off my track."

Sonic yanked away from Jet's vice-like hand. "Yeah, well, what are you even doing here? Small-town donut shops don't seem to vibe with your douchey aesthetic." It was a pitiful comeback, but saying nothing meant defeat, and Sonic was nothing if not stubborn.

Jet scoffed. "Are you kidding me? I would never eat this garbage." He brushed back some stray feathers at the side of his head. "I'm an athlete. I just had to take a piss while on my morning run." He glanced down at Sonic's floor pastries. "Have fun with your, uh," he paused as he pointedly kicked a donut with the toe of his sneakers, "trash."

Deeming this conversation over, Jet strode off in the direction of the bathrooms in the back of the shop, leaving Sonic tense and red-faced.

Carefully avoiding the eyes of the audience to their little scene, he slowly bent down to pick up the donuts.

He gave a sheepish glance at the woman as he threw them away in the trash can beside the counter. He opened his mouth to apologize for wasting her poor donuts, but she just shook her head with a kind look.

"That boy's as feisty as a jumpin' bean in a skillet! Turn my whole shop into some kinda scene from a soap opera," the kindly rabbit lady opened the bake case again, handing him another small box with fresh donuts to replace his lost ones.

"Thanks! And sorry. I'll make sure to come again… hopefully with less disruptive results," he bashfully laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in anxiety.

"Oh, you've got nothing to apologize for, suga'," she glanced at the spot Jet had been standing as she plopped the donuts in his hand. A stern, disapproving frown flashed across her face. "That boy isn't very nice, is he?" She shook her head and gave a bewildered sigh. "That hawk needs to learn him some manners. Why, lord help me, if that boy's legs can run even half as fast as his mouth, then he can very well run himself home to his own toilet."

Sonic gave a hearty laugh. It was nice to have someone on his side at least. "Haha, whaddya mean?"

"Ya' see, the bathroom is reserved for payin' customers only. Got it locked up. So I hope he likes his garbage with sprinkles," she smirked. "That bein' said, you should probably head on home, hon. I think you've had enough asshole for one day."

"Right. Thanks again!" Sonic quickly dashed to the door, mindful of the donuts in his hand.

"Y'all come back now, ya'here," the rabbit lady waved him goodbye, as a pissed off Jet returned, close to begging for the key to the bathroom.

It didn't take too long for him to make his way back to his dorm, donuts in hand. He couldn't help but replay the events of the morning in his mind. The dream. Jet's harsh yet bitterly true words. They looped in his mind. His chest hurt.

"Gah," Sonic tried shaking the images from his head frustratedly, walking into the lobby of his dorm. Predictably, it was void of any students. "No more negativity today. I'm young, spry, and have my whole future ahead of me—plenty of time to figure out my life! I'll start practicing more and crush the prelims! Nothing can stop Sonic," he quietly proclaimed, reaching his room door, only to be stopped by his lack of a key.

 _Huh... that didn't last long._

Hitting his head on the door a couple times, Tails eventually answered his pathetic call.

"It's almost 8, Sonic. What were you doing," Tails yawned, letting the poor hedgehog sidled into their room.

"Shall I tell you a tale of my treacherous journey for fresh donuts," Sonic dramatically knelt down, holding out the donut box for Tails in one hand, while placing his other hand to his forehead.

"Ooh, donuts! Skip the story, I'll get some milk," Tails took the box, putting it on his desk, and hurried to their mini fridge.

"Hurumph, no respect," Sonic pouted, getting up, grabbing the remote for their TV. "Hows about we pair this sugary bounty with some nostalgia?" He pulled up their family's _Blurflix_ account, putting on their favorite show.

" _Tomatopotamus X_! Oh man, do they have the third season? They never played that one on TV," Tails turned his desk's chair to face the TV, donut in one hand, cup of milk in the other.

"Yeah, but It's only in Japanese," Sonic followed Tails' example, sitting on his bed with a donut ring on his finger.

"Subs are better than dubs anyway—you lose too much in translation." Tails argued, taking a swig of milk.

"But the cheesy 90's voice acting!" Sonic defended around a mouthful of donut.

Tails rolled his eyes. "There's plenty of cheese in that weird new _Tomatopotamus Boom_ cartoon."

"Hey now, even you have to admit that that show is way more self-aware and clever than it has any right to be."

Tails' usual critiques of their beloved Tomatopotamus faltered here. Even he found _Tomatopotamus Boom_ 's silly meta humor just well-written enough to draw at least a few chuckles out of him.

Tails pouted, conceding. "Yeah, you're right."

Sonic leaned back into a pillow. "It's genius—never gonna get cancelled."

This was how it should be. Sonic and Tails. Not a care in the world. Just like when they were kids. They talked over the show, picking apart some of the more bizarre points of the cartoon that they had glossed over as kids. Sonic, however, wasn't entirely there.

He sat wondering how his life had become so complicated in such a short time. All of his anxieties were being prodded at one by one. He kept shaking it off—no reason to let it keep him down, right? But something told him that the longer he ignored it, the more things would grow out of control.

 _I'm fine just the way I am… right?_


	18. Chapter 18

**Sonic/Shadow**

"Are you listening?"

Shadow was standing by his chair, packing his bag. Sonic started, glancing around at the empty classroom as the last student trailed out the door.

He fidgeted as he glanced back at Shadow, looking put out at the idea of having to linger here for Sonic's sake. "Huh, what's that? Sorry, I didn't catch what you said."

Shadow raised a brow. The kid had been spacier than usual today. He hadn't made an attempt all day to try and rope Shadow into some version of his inane small talk.

If Shadow wasn't so relieved at the quiet, he'd almost be worried.

Shadow let out a sigh. "As I was saying, I don't work this evening. Can you meet me at the library at 3:00? I'd like to get through this next assignment as soon as possible."

"Uh-huh, sure, I can come after lunch," he absently nodded along, still not entirely in this conversation.

"Look, I can't waste my time as easily as you, so please come prepared this time," Shadow wasn't feeling as compassionate as he had with Sonic before. He didn't have the patience to drag Sonic along through this assignment as well.

Sonic slowly nodded and his counterpart couldn't help but notice how oddly...subdued he was today. He didn't seem quite all there—and not in the silly airheaded way he usually was. There was a lack of proverbial pep in the blue hedgehog's step, and his voice seemed to lack its usual brightness.

It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but the change was there.

Maybe he— _Nope. Stop right there. We don't care._

"Alright, alright." Sonic sighed, throwing up his hands. He stood up with his bag in tow. "I may suck at math, but even I can, uh," He picked up the handout that he'd been too spaced out to notice before. "Sew? Wait, we've actually gotta sew old clothes?"

Rolling his eyes, Shadow held up a mesh bag of tattered clothes provided by their professor for Sonic to see. "I have a sewing kit we can use, so don't worry about that. And since you've never held a sewing needle, I assume, it would be prudent to read through these instructions. Thoroughly."

 _Well, he's got me there_ , Sonic conceded.

"Right. Okay, library at three," he nodded his head, seeming to brighten some, at least. Sonic wasn't normally the type to stay in his head, but something about Shadow's quirkily grumpy words helped pull him out for a little bit. It was nice to have someone on top of these kinds of things… at least for Sonic's sake. "See ya then, Shads!"

Opting for the path of least resistance, Shadow ignored Sonic, leaving him alone in the empty classroom.

Sonic looked back at the handout, as he walked out into the hall. Various kinds of stitches were listed, with diagrams showing how to do them. It also listed the various techniques for mending different kinds of damage to clothes; holes, tears, lost buttons, busted seams, a variety of things that Sonic had most certainly never devoted brain power to.

 _Why not just throw it away if it's busted? Seems like a hassle._

At least there was no math this time—that was a blessing in and of itself.

His eyes skimmed the vague-looking instructions on a basic stitch, but his mind was already wandering to what the cafeteria had cooked for lunch today.

 _I hope it's not that weird mushroom dish again. I hate mushrooms_ — _they're so weird and...fungus-y._

Sonic's internal rant about the worst food known to man was cut short by a telltale _DING_ from his phone. Expecting it to be Knuckles checking if him and Tails were on their way to the cafeteria, he was surprisingly met instead with a text from Amy.

" _So, how's Mission Shadilver going? ;)"_

Sonic furrowed his brow. Huh? Mission Shad—

 _Oh right._

His mind whipped back to the mostly joking promise he made to Silver, prompted by teasing and pizza and unexpected revelations.

A promise to flirt with Shadow by proxy.

He ran a hand over his face, already cringing internally at all the ways this could go wrong.

Well, he was nothing if not loyal. And he tried his best to keep a promise when he made it. So, he would help Silver get in good with Shadow in whatever way he could. Hopefully he could figure out the best way for Silver to get through to Shadow by being a metaphorical guinea pig to test the waters.

He tapped out a reply to Amy. " _is that really what we're calling this?"_

" _Blaze's idea. She gets really determined with things like this. Wants Silver to be happy, y'know?'_

Sonic chuckled to himself.

 _If he really wanted to be happy, he'd have picked a better person to crush on._

It was mean to think that way, but honestly, Shadow seemed in need of his own happiness. Who knew, though, maybe they would make a good pair after all.

" _yeah, i get you! i'll flirt with him so hard for silver, he won't know what hit him!"_

Sonic's overconfident message sat 'read' on his screen for a few moments longer than he'd have liked. The ellipsis of Amy's apparent text in progress popped in and out. Eventually, she responded.

" _Well, at least you're enthusiastic about it…"_

Sonic was taken aback. " _and what's that supposed to mean? i can totally flirt! i'm charming, witty, handsome, what else do i need?"_

Another pause. " _Well, just give it your best! And remember, you're flirting FOR_ _Silver, alright? ;)"_

Sonic rolled his eyes. " _har har, very funny. i'll report back after our meeting tonight."_

Amy only replied with a thumbs up. It would be a stretch to say that Sonic had ever actually hit on anyone before. To be honest, as sociable as he was, flirtatious was not a mode he knew how to turn on. He was gonna need to do a lot of research before he met with Shadow.

* * *

Coffee cup in one hand, bag of tattered clothes in the other, Shadow stepped towards the GHU library at around 10 till 3:00. He had to rush home to grab lunch and his sewing materials, so he was thankful he could make it back to campus on time.

Passing through the automatic doors, he made his way back to his usual spot, thinking back to the odd text he received from the kid while waiting on his coffee.

" _we're still meeting at 3, right?"_

Shadow had sighed. Did the kid think something would change in less than 2 hours? " _Yes,"_ he typed out, annoyed.

" _great. can't wait to see you ;)"_

Shadow had stopped dead in his tracks at the words, brain needing a moment to process and reboot. But he had shaken it off as his name was called for his coffee, writing it off as one of Sonic's odd, idiotic idiosyncracies.

As Shadow turned the corner, he was surprised to find that Sonic was already sitting there, legs crossed, head cooly resting on hand and a grin with half cast eyes turned in Shadows direction.

"Why hello there, Shadow. Seems you're right on time," Sonic said this with a deeper tone of voice than he usually used, adding an irregular sounding creak.

Shadow felt a number of things—the most prominent of which being confusion. "Uh… huh. You're early."

"Well, wasn't it you who said that if you're on time you're ten minutes late? What can I say—you give stellar advice," Sonic fawned, throwing a wink and two finger guns in Shadow's general direction. He pointedly never broke eye-contact with Shadow, voice squeaking occasionally from trying to maintain the strange tone he was going for.

 _Okay, what the fuck is he doing?_

"...Right," Shadow's brow furrowed at Sonic, as he sat down and began to unpack his sewing stuff. "You did read through the handout, yes?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Sonic gave a light breathy laugh, before looking at Shadow with a goofily serious—rather, a seriously goofy, look. "Intimately."

Shadow had a physical reaction to that one, fumbling his bobbins and almost scattering a package of buttons everywhere. If he thought Sonic was acting weird this morning…

He turned away from Sonic's constant gaze, desperate to change course before Sonic could take this weird act any further. "Well, uh—" He stopped. Cleared his throat. Tried again. "I hope you, uh, retained at least some of the information. We have work to do." Shadow grabbed a small case of needles, grabbing one for himself then sliding the rest over to Sonic, who slowly slid them towards himself, continuing his creepy ceaseless eye contact.

"Have you ever threaded a needle before," Shadow asked, grabbing a blue-colored thread to match a pair of socks that had holes in them.

"I mean, I just gotta stick the thread inside the needle," he chuckled again, cooly grabbing a black-colored thread. "How hard can it be," he winked at Shadow, taking the string and beginning his first attempt at needle threading.

Sonic may have fantastic hand-eye coordination and reflexes to boot, but fine motor skills were something he lacked. In spades. He took the thread, letting it limply hang, vaguely aiming at the tiny eye of the needle. He squinted one eye, fruitlessly trying to shove the delicate thread into the just as delicate hole.

It was becoming pathetic. Well, more pathetic. Shadow took what he assumed to be the first deep breath of many today. "First, cut the amount of thread you need. I'm going to do the more complicated fixes like darning and patching. You'll handle the buttons and seams, so you'll need about as much thread as your arm length for now."

Shadow demonstrated for Sonic with his own thread, and Sonic, at the very least a quick learner, followed his example, pulling out a good length of thread, and then cutting it. "Next, take one end of the thread, and hold it straight. I usually just use my mouth to wet it a little and pull it straight," he said, doing so in turn.

"Oh, really now," Sonic continued to use his obnoxiously foux suave voice, eyeing Shadow… seductively? It was hard to tell, considering Sonic's apparent idea of seductive was mugging it up and occasionally letting out a creepy breathy chuckle.

Shadow, beginning to feel as though Sonic was mocking him, blushed at the embarrassment of having his words misconstrued. "Gah, just—it's just to keep the thread from fraying." He placed his gaze firmly back on his thread, determined to keep a straight face. "Once it's… stiff," _God why aren't there any better words._ Every synonym in the english language was escaping him.

Sonic, breaking out of his weird flirtatious character, let out a genuine laugh at that, ready to fall into one of his giggling fits. Shadow, face scrunching in a mix of anger, embarrassment and his fading composure, put his needle and thread down, getting up.

"Alright, I've had enough of this. If you're going to just keep sitting there mocking me the entire time, then you can damn well do this assignment on your own." Shadow, refusing to look at Sonic, began to pack up his stuff.

Sonic snapped out of his laughing fit. _Shit!_ This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He didn't plan for this. He was sure he did exactly what Knuckles had told him at lunch. He had even tried to copy the look Knuckles always had when he flirted. Did he do it wrong?

Then again, he hadn't always seen it work for Knuckles either.

"Wait, wait, no! Sorry, sorry, I was just playing around. I, uh, got a little carried away. I'll, uh, dial it back some, okay? I promise," he stood up, this time meeting Shadow's eyes with something more genuine, something remorseful and almost pleading.

Shadow, poised to berate Sonic further, looked back down at his bag, taking one more deep breath, letting it go slowly. _This shithead is going to run me ragged._ "This is your last chance. I do not put up with nonsense."

"Yes, understood. No more nonsense. Zero traces of nonsense here." Sonic spoke quickly, the promise rushing out of his mouth, some sense of anxiety and desperation twisting his words.

Shadow rolled his eyes. He didn't quite believe that claim, but they had an assignment to finish.

He slid back into his booth seat as Sonic regained his usual relaxed posture, his shoulders relaxing into something more natural.

Well, whatever the kid was up to seemed to have passed now, at least. If they could just get through this assignment in peace, then he would consider that a victory and they would never mention this again.

Finally able to properly thread his needle, Sonic watched as Shadow walked him through the steps of a basic stitch, following each maneuver as best he could. Once he had finished repairing his first seam, Sonic beamed at his own accomplishment. "I did it! Haha, check it!"

Sonic held his work out to Shadow, who was still wary of the kids potential to make this afternoon more uncomfortable. "Hmph. Passable. Your stitches are too far apart."

"Aye aye, captain," Sonic saluted, moving onto his next piece. Shadow watched Sonic starting up again. He seemed to be taking Shadows direction to heart. He had this look of intense concentration, as though he was willing the stitches to move closer. With each successful stitch, he'd grin at his little victory.

Shadow felt… relieved to see the kid revert back to his normal self. Maybe even… happy? It was better than whatever odd versions of Sonic he had already dealt with today, at least.

Eventually the space between them fell quiet as they each turned their eyes to their own fabric, repairing rips, patching holes, and replacing lost buttons.

Sonic squirmed as he noticed Shadow's posture, tense even now, like he was ready to dash away as soon as Sonic spoke again. He continued to replay his "flirting" display from earlier. Maybe he had laid it on too thick.

Well, he had definitely laid it on too thick.

Desperate to keep his promise, but woefully unsure how, he had rushed to seek advice from the most flirtatious person he knew, the perpetually-single, but self-proclaimed ladies' man, Knuckles.

Amy was right, he wasn't cut out for this. So, his plan was just to imitate the only real-world flirtation he had seen through Knuckles' high school escapades. When he asked Knuckles about it at lunch today, the joy of getting to share his supposed knowledge apparently overpowered the shock of Sonic being the one to ask this question at all, because he had rolled right into a monologue about compliments and subtle innuendos and _smoldering_ (a good smolder was the most important ingredient, according to Knuckles).

"Now, it is essential you remember this bit," Knuckles had said as he finished his lecture from on high, "Flirting, at the end of the day, is more an invitation as well as a request to join in that other person's life. Women aren't just some trophy or conquest you're aiming to add to your collection. Your aim should be to learn who she is, see life from her point of view and grow as a person from her influence."

Both he and Tails had balked with their mediocre cafeteria chicken halfway to their mouths.

"What?" Knuckles had shrugged. "Just because I'm a meathead doesn't mean I can't be a feminist."

Sonic sighed as he pulled the needle through the fabric again. Well, clearly none of Knuckles general advice had worked. Though, that last bit, Sonic could still give a try. Who is Shadow? What was his life like, underneath his disaffected lone-wolf act?

His gaze trailed to Shadow, crimson red eyes focused as he carefully made stitch after meticulous stitch. His brow furrowed slightly as he neatly pulled the seams together, biting his cheek slightly as he concentrated.

If Sonic looked long enough, he could almost see what Silver found so appealing. Maybe.

Sonic frowned. How could he get through to this guy? Knuckles' Failproof Flirting Techniques™ actually proved to be pretty prone to failure.

 _Well maybe don't be Knuckles. Maybe just be Sonic._

The sharp sound of scissors broke the silence as Shadow snipped his latest length of thread, carefully folding a newly-repaired red shirt and placing on top of his finished pieces.

"Y'know," Sonic started. He could almost feel Shadow freeze from across the table, afraid of a sequel to his earlier antics. "My little bro, Tails, is always changing his favorite color—ever since he was little." Shadow tilted his head, finally glancing up to look at Sonic. Not what he was expecting. "First he was all about yellow stuff, then it was nothing but purple. And I don't even wanna remember his chartreuse phase. But for me, it's always been red—as long as I can remember." He pointed at his shoes as he stuck one leg out from under the table, grinning. "That's why my Soaps are so lucky! They always lead me right."

Shadow's eyes flicked from the shoes back to Sonic. "...Because they're red," he deadpanned.

"Yup," Sonic said, leaning back, feeling lighter already without the weight of having to keep up the highly flirtatious act. "Never leave home without 'em. I dunno, red's just always seemed to be a good color for me."

Shadow absently traced the line of his next stitch with his free hand. "As silly a reason as any to believe in luck, I suppose," he murmured.

"You got anything like that?"

Shadow blinked, pausing. "Excuse me?"

"Y'know, like something you believe is lucky. Silly or not." Sonic continued working on the button up bereft of half it's buttons, almost forgetting that's what they were here to do in the first place. "Or a color you've always been drawn too, even if you can't really explain why."

Shadow fully stopped in his motions for a second, giving Sonic a confused look from his side of the booth. He almost opened his mouth to say something, but stopped before pulling his focus back down again. "I don't see why you'd care to know," he responded instead.

Sonic laughed with a snort, "Well, I guess some people would call it an ice breaker. And considering how much ice there is between us, gotta start somewhere y'know."

Taking a sip from his now tepid coffee cup, he continued his work on the loose hem of some dress pants. "The ice you are on is thin enough. Don't get distracted, I don't have all day."

Having halted his progress on the last button of his shirt, Sonic snapped back to work having been called out. He clumsily tied off the thread of his last button, cutting the thread as close as he could manage. Lazily folding the shirt, he threw it into his messy pile.

Grabbing the next garment with a busted seam, he sighed, "Why do we even gotta fix all these anyway? If they're so damaged, why not just buy new clothes?"

Shadow, having already spent enough energy on outrage and indignancy for a semester, just kept his eyes on his work, attempting to formulate a civil response to educate his juvenile counterpart. "The actual answer is that this is an assignment and we have to do this for a grade." He said matter-of-factly. "But more broadly—did you learn nothing from our last assignment? New clothes, even at more affordable stores, can eat away at your budget in the blink of an eye," Shadow's tone of voice carefully had less ire in it than in the past. For better or worse, he was starting to get used to Sonic's brash ignorance as a side-effect of his inexperience. It wasn't fair to be angry over ignorance, he supposed. Well, certain amounts of ignorance, anyway.

"You have to make some sacrifices when you aren't living on your parent's dime," he finished his thought with a sip from his coffee cup. It was a little snide, maybe, but anything he could do to give Sonic a little perspective would be for the better. The kid had a long road ahead of him, and he was ill-equipped to traverse it.

This hit Sonic. He grimaced, eyes downcast. He wasn't a total idiot; he knew how privileged he was, being taken care of by his parents for as long as he could remember, even now. It wasn't something he ever had to worry about, really, but something about the way Shadow threw it at him—as a critique of his character—got under his quills.

But it wasn't like he was a horrible person for it, right? He wasn't some snob rich kid running around bragging about his family's wealth. Not like they had much of it anyway.

 _But isn't this just as bad_ , something prodded, a nagging thought in the back of his mind. _Lazing around, refusing to change, coasting by on nothing._

Sonic gritted his teeth, trying to focus on placing stitch after stitch after stitch after stitch—

 _You can't ignore everything forever, you know. Running isn't always the answer._

Stitch and pull the thread through. Stitch and pull. Stitch and pull. Stitch. Pull. Stitch.

 _Coward._

"OW!" A sharp prick of pain pulled him back into his body. A small dot of red welled up in his thumb, pain centering on where his needle and punctured the tip of his finger. "Gah, damnit!"

He dropped the half-fixed hoodie held in his free hand and grimaced at his tiny wound.

 _Wow, couldn't help but fuck this simple task up too, huh?_

A frown flickered across his face as the world narrowed into that one thought.

Shadow, who had been a little weirded out by Sonic's sudden silence, snapped up at this.

Sonic didn't even notice Shadow rummaging around in his bag until he was at Sonic's side, wordlessly taking his wrist and pulling the injured hand towards him.

"Here," he said softly. A bandaid was unwrapped and placed over his little prick of an injury. Honestly, it probably didn't require the bandaid at all. But Sonic seemed more upset by it than he would have expected.

Sonic watched quietly as the bandaid was wrapped around his absentminded pinprick, with more care than he thought Shadow possessed. He only now became aware of the open first-aid kit open on the other side of the table. If Sonic had his wits about him, he could have laughed—of course Shadow would carry these around.

He watched Shadow's brow furrow as he finished his (probably unnecessary) task.

He curled in on himself, eyes flicking from Shadow's ever-stoic face to his hand still lingering on his wrist. "Sorry," he mumbled.

There was barely a breath of silence between them before more words tumbled out of Sonic, a break in some proverbial dam. He didn't know where this rush of emotion and panic came from, but it took over any control he had had over his words.

"Sorry I messed this up again. I tried—I really did. And I'm sorry you're stuck with an idiot like me as your partner and you have to drag me along because I don't know things and I can't do anything right and—"

Shadow's fingers tightened on his wrist, ever so slightly, making Sonic's eyes snap back up, meeting the confused red eyes before him.

Shadow paused, taking in Sonic's wide eyes, his worried frown, ears flattened back against his head. Where had that come from? Sonic seemed pretty unaffected by most things, and this rushed monologue of self-criticism contrasted with everything Shadow knew about the freshman.

Which, he guessed he had to admit, wasn't much.

He opened his mouth to respond with something, anything to end this painfully awkward silence. He tried to remember what he would do when Maria was younger, frustrated and crying over some small straw that broke the camel's back. (He briefly lingered on the irony of using the same strategies for his kid sister for the full-fledged nineteen-year-old in front of him.)

But before he could do anything—

"Shadow, are CarboHydrolic cells a thing," Sonic asked, barely above a whisper.

Whatever Shadow was going to say screeched to a sudden halt. "...What?" He almost glared at him, nearly scoffing at what he assumed was some stumbling attempt at a joke. But something about the way Sonic spoke now, fragile and shaky—something was different here, off in a way he hadn't seen. "No, uh, they aren't"

Sonic shook his head. "Yeah, figures. Sorry. Never mind." He let his hand slip from Shadow's, whose empty hand fell loosely to the side, suddenly very aware of the missing weight, the absent warmth. "It's stupid," he muttered towards the wall.

Shadow took in Sonic's slumped form, fully turned forward now, head down. He felt frozen, bewildered, at a loss. Besides the brief flash of frustration over last week's mock-budget, this was the first complete slip of Sonic's 'Cool Guy Track Star' schtick Shadow had ever seen.

Shadow frowned. Something had cracked. He hadn't expected it from a kid like Sonic, but Shadow had seen this, had felt this before. Anxiety and self doubt becoming too overwhelming to bear. Shadow had enough trouble dealing with it himself, after all these years. But this must be a new sensation for someone like Sonic. What could have brought this on, broken his annoyingly spunky attitude enough to cause him this much grief?

His eyes looked to their respective piles of clothes, gaze running over Sonic's lines of crooked, uneven stitches. Only one garment lay unfinished between them.

Shadow let out a breath. Whatever was going on with Sonic, he felt it unwise to prod any further today. "We'll call this finished for now," Shadow declared, moving back to his side. The kid needed some time to himself to cool down.

Sonic didn't say a word, packing his own things, as Shadow gathered up the clothes and placed everything back in his bag, slinging it back on his shoulder.

He paused there, hands in his jacket pockets, a weird limbo in the space between them.

"Sky blue."

Sonic looked up, head tilted. "Huh?"

Shadow kept his eyes down as he spoke again. "My favorite color—sky blue." Flashes of a dress played in his mind, the skirt ruffling as it was twirled by its wearer. "That color…puts me at ease. It's...calming, I suppose"

Sonic watched as his partner's gaze softened into something bittersweet and faraway. He smiled softly.

Shadow flicked a glance back at Sonic—the briefest of moments—before turning on his heel and walking away.


	19. Chapter 19

**Shadow**

6 o`clock on a Thursday evening. The lobby of the Station Square Municipal Hospital was quiet, save the T.V. in the waiting area playing out old reruns of mediocre sitcoms.

It had been a slow night so far—only a few minor admissions—so Shadow, alone at the hospital reception desk, used this ample amount of free time to finish up the last bit of sewing that Sonic had left. It was an old red t-shirt with a worn seam in the armpits (Shadow had to wonder where their professor acquired these tattered clothes—were they just sitting in a closet, waiting for students to mend them?).

Initially, he was concerned that the two of them may be called out for not equally sharing the work if he finished it on his own, but the clothes Sonic mended were obviously distinct from the rest. Their professor would be impressed enough to see he even did anything.

His eyes flicked down to Sonic's pile of clothes that Shadow had folded neatly beside him. Some of the colors of thread were mismatched from their garments and the stitches were crooked at best. His sewing was haphazard, spaced oddly and almost tangled in some places, but at least the gaps in the fabric were closed, so that was something.

Normally, Sonic's shoddy craftsmanship would induce an eye-roll and a slow simmer of annoyance that heated his chest. But, today, he couldn't manage it.

Call it exhaustion, call it resigned apathy, but Sonic's crude work was almost endearing—childlike in its quality. That look of pride and amazement Sonic had upon completing even a single stitch flicked through his mind. Maybe it reminded him of a young Maria, grinning as she pecked away 'Mary had a little lamb' on the piano from memory for the first time.

Or maybe he just felt a twinge of sympathy for the kid after yesterday's display. He felt his mind drift without his explicit permission, lingering on thoughts of what would have melted Sonic's "way past cool" persona enough to cause a mini-breakdown.

He had gone from… bizarre, to happy, to having a panic attack in just one session of sewing. It seemed that Shadow's backhanded critique of trust-funders had struck a chord with Sonic. Perhaps the kid was finally starting to fall to the pressures of adulthood. It isn't easy coming into your own. For anyone.

 _It's a shame to see someone so bright faltering beneath the weight of reality…_

Shadow shook his head, pulling his gaze back to his own work. Better to let sleeping dogs lie and just let this semester pass so he could get on with his usual Sonic-free life. It's not like he was trying to be the kid's friend or anything. They just needed to get this project done.

He could almost hear Rouge's giggle in his head, an imaginary response to his oddly Sonic-centric thoughts. " _Oh hon-_ ey _, I know you're used to fretting over everyone else constantly, but worrying about our favorite blue miscreant? That's an interesting development."_

Shadow visibly frowned. Inner-Rouge, bluntly honest as always.

He let out a breath as he finished pulling the last of the thread through, tying it off. He thought of Sonic's wounded eyes. His hand in his. The weight and the warmth.

He folded the shirt neatly into the pile. Best not to think about it.

He put the clothes back in his bag, hoping the "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy would apply here. He glanced back up at the empty lobby before him, praying for some sort of work, some sort of task to distract him.

...Nothing. Just another _Chao in Space 3_ preview playing in the commercials between decades-old shows.

" _Uh, cheow?"_ the alien Chao said on screen.

Shadow remembered some vague controversy about the new-age design of the Chaos for the movie—odd proportions and weirdly hyper-realistic textures. Shadow rolled his eyes. The classic 2D design of the Chao would never translate well to 3D. He felt like he read something about the studio changing the designs due to the "response from the passionate fanbase," but Shadow wasn't holding his breath. They should have just stuck with the hand-drawn animation of the first movie—why fix what isn't broken?

It looked like the kind of high-budget blockbuster schlock Sonic would probably enjoy.

Shadow froze. _Nope. No, no, no. We are_ not _sparing any more thoughts on that kid._

His phone pinged from beside him. A text from Sonic.

Well, there went that effort.

He swiped and was met with a burst of messages coming through one by one.

" _hey, just wanted to say sorry about all that mess the other day_ "

" _it's been a weird couple of weeks"_

Well that much was obvious.

Shadow thought for a second, thumb hovering over the keyboard in the pause between Sonic's texts.

" _Are you alright?"_ he typed out.

His brain caught up with him. He immediately backspaced.

Luckily, his aborted message went unnoticed as Sonic plowed forward with more texts.

" _anyway thanks for all the help with the sewing and everything. i owe you one."_

" _let me make it up to you. you drink coffee, right? let me get you something from the place on campus."_

Shadow frowned. Coffee? An invitation to consort outside of their project?

" _You're breaking our one texting rule,"_ he replied, hoping this would curtail Sonic's attempts at further correspondence.

And of course it didn't.

" _yeah, i know, but let me get you some coffee as a thank you anyway!"_

" _plus, we need to talk about the next assignment anyhow, and if we have to do that, then this is technically a text about homework and i'm not breaking the sacred rules. plus, free coffee._ "

Shadow let out an obstinate breath. He guessed Sonic was _technically_ right. " _Just because you found a loophole doesn't mean I have to say yes."_

" _hmmmm…"_

" _i'll throw in a baked good of your choice if that'll sweeten the deal."_

" _get it?'_

" _sweeten?"_

Shadow wanted to bang his head against the desk. " _If I agree, will you stop making terrible jokes?"_

" _i might…"_

Shadow put his chin in his hand. At least Sonic was taking the initiative to work on the next assignment before it was due. " _Fine. I concede."_

" _sick! how's tomorrow afternoon? After class?"_

While he didn't have any classes after Home-ec, he usually spent his Fridays cleaning or doing laundry, since he rarely had time to do it the rest of the week. That, or he'd have work.

Shadow closed out of his messages and checked his work schedule for this week. He had to work at 5:00 tomorrow, so he _could_ work it in…

"Hey Shadow, got a sec?"

Shadow jumped, putting his phone down. His supervisor, a middle-aged duck named Horatio, walked up to the front desk.

"Yes, sir," Shadow answered, hoping he wouldn't be scolded for having his phone out.

"So, the receptionist that works the night shifts says she has to leave town ASAP. Family emergency. Can you take her place Saturday night," he asked, looking through a clipboard. "This means you'll work a double shift that day, morning and night, so you don't have to come in tomorrow."

Shadow looked back down at his phone. He didn't have any plans for this saturday… or most Saturday nights in his life, to be honest.

He let out a quiet sigh, "Yes, I can work Saturday evening. Will I have to come in on Sunday as well?"

"No, someone else can fill in on Sunday. Sorry to rain on your parade, kiddo," the aged duck gave Shadow a sympathetic smile, before heading back to his own work.

"It's fine," Shadow whispered to himself, before letting out another sigh. This wasn't the first time he'd been asked to cover someone else's shift. And, like always, he'd said yes without even hesitating. He'd probably be compensated for this, and the extra money never hurt. Though, with his part-time morning shifts running from 8-1 and the night shift from 10-4, that left him little time to himself. He'd probably end up staying at the hospital all day…

At the very least the extra work meant he could continue to keep himself busy…

 _Idle hands are the devil's playground, I suppose._

He leaned back in his chair looking up at the ceiling. He breathed-out, closing his eyes, attempting to remove any trace of tension in his body with it.

 _I need some time with Maria…_

* _Ding_ *

Shadow sat up, looking to the phone in his hand.

" _is that long pause a yes? i'll call it a yes. see ya tomorrow shads!"_

Placing his phone face down, Shadow laid his head on his desk, resigned that his life was fated to be filled with suffering.

 _If I can find any silver lining to this week, I suppose free coffee and pastries will suffice._


	20. Chapter 20

**Sonic/Shadow**

"So, ready to go?"

Sonic, bag packed, eager to be free of the soul-crushing prison that was the modern education system, checked with his tablemate, who seemed less than eager to move forward with this day.

"If we must," Shadow sighed, collecting his own bag. He had dreaded this moment all morning. After Sonic's display the other day, he was afraid of what may happen today, especially with them meeting in such a public place.

Though, his fears may have been for nothing. Sonic was his usual happy go lucky self, not a trace of that self-doubt from before. The grin on his face was as sickeningly chipper as when Shadow had first encountered him. How genuine it was, however, he'd have to wait and see.

 _It doesn't matter if it's real or not, Shadow. As long as he's in a good mood, that should stop him from making a scene. Hopefully._

"Ah, c'mon, don't be like that. We should hurry, though, if we wanna beat the post-class coffee rush," Sonic noted, watching as Shadow slowly followed him out. While this was a genuine effort on Sonic's part to thank Shadow and get ahead in class, Sonic did have ulterior motives.

In their last meeting, he'd gotten something out of Shadow. Sure, it was probably just pity for Sonic's pathetic display, but it was still something—and it warmed Sonic's heart to see even a glimpse of what lay beyond the dark hedgehog's brooding. Not to mention, it gave him something to report back to Team 'Shadilver'. If he got to help Silver out and finally get Shadow to not hate him as they worked through this project, it was a win-win in Sonic's book.

He glanced sideways at his home-ec partner as they stepped outside the humanities building, watching as the sun glinted off the edge of his profile. In the light, the red streaks in his quills weren't as dark, the deep crimson giving way to hints of cherry reds and scarlets. Not as dark as he seems—Sonic could almost chuckle at the on-point metaphor.

"Ah, it's raining again."

Sonic started as Shadow's voice mumbled from beside him. For a moment, he thought he'd been caught in his accidental staring, but then his brain caught up with his ears.

He glanced beyond the building's awning to see a steady patter of rain falling from the sky—still oddly bright and blue.

"But, it's still sunny," Sonic observed unhelpfully.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I hadn't noticed."

Shadow rummaged around in his bag before producing his umbrella, opening it up before stepping out onto the damp grass.

Sonic immediately followed, uncaring about the steady _pat pat pat_ of water on his quills.

Shadow frowned. "Do you just...not own an umbrella?"

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, technically? But I leave it at home a lot. Don't really see a need in carrying it all the time." He shrugged. "Besides, it's just water, right? Not gonna hurt anything."

Shadow let out a put-upon sigh, extending his arm a bit and creating space under the dome of his umbrella.

Sonic tilted his head, but before he could ask—

"Just get under here. I refuse to have your damp fur dripping all over our papers," Shadow said flatly.

"O-oh. Okay." Sonic closed the short distance between them, stepping under the other side of the umbrella, walking in-step with Shadow to the library. "Thanks," he chirped sheepishly.

Step by step, their feet squished in the wet ground and the rain didn't let up. It was a bit awkward, especially for Shadow. He didn't like being so close to people he wasn't entirely comfortable around. But now, thanks to his small collapsible umbrella—and his partner's apparent lack of one—he was practically touching shoulders with Sonic.

Though, the more he thought about it, this wasn't the first time they'd gotten this close. In fact, it probably wasn't even the second time. Visions of their time together replayed in Shadow's mind. Getting close enough to feel Sonic's breath, holding Sonic's hand, his own hand clasped over Sonic's ever-running mouth, fingers curving over the shape of his lips...

Embarrassment reignited, he turned to remove any trace of Sonic from his peripherals.

 _Where the hell is my mind going?!_

Sonic felt equally awkward, though for different reasons. Shadow, now turned completely away, seemed to be shunning him. He knew Shadow had to hate this—how much of an inconvenience he was probably being. Hoping he hadn't returned to square one with Shadow, he carefully thought up the most casual and non-intrusive discussion topic he could to break the odd silence stretching between them.

"So, uh… lovely weather we're having," Sonic stated evenly. He'd seen the phrase used in his favorite 90's sitcoms for most small talk (always followed by a laugh-track for some reason), but it took a little longer for him to realize his less-than-perfect timing for such a line.

"Are we speaking in cliches now," Shadow asked, still looking resolutely forward, not too stunned, it seemed. He was starting to get used to Sonic's...unique brand of conversation and humor.

"Ha, maybe," Sonic awkwardly giggled, rubbing the back of his neck. "But, joking aside, isn't this kind of amazing? Not everyday can you enjoy a blue sky, sunshine and the calming rhythm of the rain all at once."

Taking a moment to look at Sonic from the corner of his eye, Shadow noticed something he hadn't before. The smile on Sonic's face wasn't as wide as he always seemed to make it. It was soft, and even. The same could be said for his eyes, subdued but still shining. He hadn't assumed Sonic the type to wax poetic, and this did stun him.

It was kind of...nice that he seemed genuinely excited about something as simple as the juxtaposed combination of sunshine and rain.

"I…suppose you're right."

And with that, the chime above the library cafe's door rang as they stepped inside, Shadow shaking the lingering droplets of rain off his umbrella before neatly collapsing it and placing it into one of those plastic umbrella bags hanging by the door.

Sonic snickered. _Of course he uses those._

They lingered there for a moment, still and silent, before Shadow coughed and they both belatedly realized their shoulders were still brushing.

"Oh, um," Sonic started, but Shadow just strode forward, immediately putting some distance between them.

Sonic could do nothing but follow.

The bright fluorescents of the library gave way to the soft, warm lighting of the cafe within it. The small space was surprisingly unbusy for a Friday afternoon, the murmur of the few groups at the tiny circular tables creating a comforting hum of white noise in the background.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sonic the hedgehog."

Sonic glanced towards the counter to see Blaze standing behind it, smirking as she adjusted her signature ponytail. Silver stood just behind her, awkwardly waving.

Sonic stepped up to them, grinning. "Oh, hey guys! Long time no see! Nice to see ya again, Silver."

Blaze punched a few buttons on the register. "How's it going? Didn't take you for a coffee guy," Blaze pointed out, careful not to crack a smile at the amusing guest accompanying Sonic.

For his part, Silver seemed like he was trying his hardest _not_ to acknowledge Shadow's prenscence, instead focusing on cleaning every surface within his reach.

Sonic chuckled. "Nah, too hot and bitter for my liking." He threw a thumb back at Shadow standing silently behind him. "But this guy seems to like it, and we've got some work to do."

He spun around to face Shadow now, flashing an easy smile as he leaned against the counter. "So whatcha gettin', buddy? Anything your heart desires," Sonic winked, holding up his student ID. Lucky for the broke Sonic, this was covered by his meal plan.

Shadow's arms remained crossed over his chest as he stayed behind Sonic, seemingly eager to keep a standard amount of distance between them now. His eyes only flicked up to the faces before him, awkward and fleeting, before fixing his gaze on the menu above. "The only thing my 'heart desires' is caffeine, so an americano will suffice," Shadow deadpanned.

"With cream and sugar," Silver coyly asked, moving to Blazes' side.

"Oh.. uh, yes, as always, I suppose," Shadow mumbled, for a moment embarrassed at how regular his coffee purchases evidently were.

His eyes flicked to the bake case as Blaze put in the order, gaze lingering on the oversized chocolate chip cookies stacked in a pile before he could stop himself.

Sonic caught him and smirked, making Shadow turn to hide his reddening cheeks _._

Sonic glanced up at the extensive menu, unfamiliar with what half of these drinks were supposed to be. "Uhhhhhhh...I guess I'll just have a," he desperately scanned for something that wasn't terribly bitter or saccharine, "mango lemonade?"

Blaze punched a few more buttons on the dated POS. "Alright, that'll be $6.75."

Sonic handed her his card as Blaze went through her familiar routine of inputting his information.

Shadow finally spoke up quietly from behind him. "I will go find us a table," he muttered before walking off in the direction of empty chairs at the back of the cafe, seeming eager to shorten this interaction in whatever way he could.

"Sure thing, dude." Sonic gave a thumbs up as he walked away, before turning back to Blaze. "Actually," he said, quieter now. "Could I get a cookie too—chocolate chip?"

Blaze shrugged as she swiped his card again. "Sure."

She reached into the lighted case, placed it in a paper sleeve and plopped the requested baked good in his hand before fixing him with a more pointed look. "So, Project Shadilver. Any juicy updates?"

Silver rolled his eyes, giving an embarrassed whine as he finished off their drinks. "Blaaaze. Please tell me you're not still on that."

Sonic let out an awkward laugh. He didn't know what she classified as juicy. Shadow closed off so much of himself that any info about the mystery he created was shocking in and of itself.

"Uhhh, let me think...well, he likes blue," Sonic flatly stated.

Blaze eyed his own particularly blue form. "Uh-huh," she said evenly.

Sonic backtracked. "I, uh, mean the color in general! Not, uh—" He paused, trying to not any more fuel to whatever fire he was making. "Um, sky-blue! To be specific, oddly enough..." He searched for something else. "Also, he's weirdly good at sewing? Like, unexpectedly crafty. And pretty helpful. Honestly, every once in a while, he can be weirdly nice?"

Blaze's eyes sparked with a knowing look. Sonic felt caught red-handed, but he wasn't quite sure what for.

His eyes landed on the cookie in his hand, sticking out of its waxy paper bag. "And, a new development—he may have a sweet tooth."

Blaze was quiet for a moment, as if she was considering saying something before deciding against it. She tossed her gaze back to Silver. "You taking notes back there, Silver? You better be if _you_ want to get into Shadow's pants before Sonic here—"

Silver interrupted her half-sarcasm by sliding their drinks onto the counter in front of Sonic. "Hahahahaha anyway thanks for coming goodbye see you have a nice day!" He pointedly grabbed Blaze's hand in his. "Blaze I think it's about time to clean the espresso machine, don't ya think," he said in a rush before pulling her aside as his cheeks turned a deeper pink.

Sonic shrugged as they disappeared, sweeping up the drinks in his hands as he went to find Shadow at a small table in the corner of the cafe.

Eyes following Sonic's form at the counter, jovially chatting away, Shadow began to think they were talking about more than just drinks. He frowned, unsure why that bugged him. It was better he was unloading some of his constant want for conversation on someone other than him.

He dropped his eyes to the papers he'd pulled out as Sonic started heading his way.

Carefully putting down each of their drinks in their respective places, and placing Shadow's cookie in front of the dower hedgehog, Sonic plopped in his chair, placing his right foot on his left knee in a patented cool guy pose.

"What is this," Shadow inquired, eyeing the sleeved cookie before him.

"I did promise you a pastry along with that coffee, and I thought I saw you looking at it," Sonic shrugged, taking a sip of his lemonade.

"You shouldn't have. I don't need it," Shadow mumbled, taking the lid off his Americano to stir the sugar, letting the steam rise off as it cooled down.

"But you wanted it," Sonic said simply. "Live a little," he quipped.

"Hmph. Whatever," Shadow muttered, taking a sip from his drink. In all honesty, he was pretty hungry, and definitely wanted to tear apart that cookie with little regard for anyone who may see. But, he'd hate to make Sonic's head grow any bigger.

" … Friends of yours?" Shadow said this, immediately regretting asking something so trivial.

"Eh, acquaintances mostly. Girlfriend and friend of an old high school friend of mine. Simple, right," Sonic chuckled, thrilled that for once Shadow was taking some initiative for interaction. Though he hoped Shadow wouldn't follow that up with any probing questions about their 'private' Shadilver meeting. So he did what he did best—kept talking. "Man, high school feels like a whole lifetime ago. I kinda miss it, y'know? What about you? How'd high school treat you?"

For a moment, Shadow paused. Memories… he couldn't quite reach. Memories he'd spent years burying. In an instant, they threatened to come forth into his conscious mind. Feeling foolish for letting his guard down so easily, Shadow grabbed his bag and pulled out his home-ec binder. "You said we would discuss our next assignment, and I intend to only do so."

There it was again, a wall of ice, as tall as a skyscraper and 10 miles wide. Sonic sighed, grabbing his crumpled home-ec handouts from his bag as well.

Their next assignment seemed to focus on basic household maintenance and repair. Changing air filters, keeping out bugs and mold, checking smoke detectors, blah blah blah, another set of things Sonic was completely ignorant to. They were both given handouts with tips and resources for handling these kinds of things in a cost-effective manner.

They were given a checklist of things to check and list the status of; good to go or in need of changing/repair. Half of these would be difficult for Sonic to actually fill out, considering he lived in a dorm and had little to maintain as it was. But Shadow figured he could fill out the checklist for the two of them, and Sonic could handle the write up required for how they would handle each item.

As they talked, though, Sonic was still stuck on getting through to Shadow. He knew it wasn't impossible, he'd come so close the last two times they met. It was a challenge to Sonic, and he was not about to back down. He just needed to be… smart about it.

 _Good luck there, dumbass._

He really didn't want to go there again today. Thinking back, what had made Shadow open up before? When they were working on the budget, Shadow was much easier to talk to after Sonic had his little mathematical meltdown. And after he'd had his more catastrophic breakdown the other day, he'd finally given him an actual answer to his inconsequential question.

 _Oh god, don't tell me I have to keep melting down to get anything out of him._

Nah, it wasn't just that. More than that, Sonic thought that maybe the only way to get Shadow to open up was when he was helping him out. It seemed to be a common denominator in all their previous encounters, so perhaps he should just spin it like that?

"Um, Shadow, sorry to cut you off, but I think I need a little help with something," Sonic furrowed his brow, trying to channel some of the innate dumbassness he seemed to constantly exude.

Shadow, looking slightly annoyed, cocked an inquisitive brow in his direction.

"Well, you see, as you probably could tell by now, I'm not the best when it comes to all this home-ec type stuff," Sonic took a pouty sip from his lemonade. "But you're like a natural at this stuff! How do you do it?" He hoped his calculations were correct.

Shadow looked back down at their papers, and then sat back with his hands folded across his chest. He looked to the side. "It's nothing natural. Comes from years of practical use and necessity."

Bingo.

 _Ha, looks like I'm not so bad at math after all!.. maybe._

"Really? Wow, I feel like I probably could have done a lot more with my teenage years, huh? Would've helped me out here." Sonic gave a self-deprecating laugh at his own adolescent laziness.

"It's nothing I choose to do," Shadow finally broke off a piece of his cookie. "Everyone's life takes them in different directions. Mine required me to pick up basic household duties."

As much as he really wanted to ask further about this, Sonic had learned enough not to stick his nose where it didn't belong. "Fair enough. Though I gotta say, it's pretty cool to see you work. You fixed all of those clothes like it was nothing!"

Shadow sheepishly looked back towards the ground. "You could, too. Just practice."

"Do you ever sew actual clothes and stuff?" As much as he hated dancing around what he actually wanted to say, Sonic seemed to be getting somewhere. It was painfully slow, but it would have to do.

"No, just repairs. I… prefer crochet," Shadow took a sip from his cup. He didn't know why he kept responding, kept letting things slip. He knew what Sonic was doing, and yet, the responses came easy, the flow of conversation almost...natural.

A voice in his mind told him he shouldn't stay any longer than he had to. But… the kid did buy him a cookie. He at least owed him something like a proper conversation.

"Oh, cool! That's the one with, like, two big sticks and yarn, right?" Sonic actually did know what crochet was…kind of. But he figured acting like he knew nothing would give Shadow more to say. _What do you mean 'acting like'?_

"No. That's knitting. Crochet just uses a big hooked needle. As long as you have a hook, some skill and the right size yarn, you can make anything from blankets to scarfs," Shadow picked up his papers to try and straighten them up. For no particular reason.

"Really, just a hook? Sounds complicated. Must take a while to make anything," Sonic leaned into the table, resting his forearms on the surface.

"Sometimes, depending on the pattern. Though, it makes for a good way to… relax, I suppose," Shadow moved his hands to his jacket pockets.

"Sounds like it! Though, don't know if it's for me, don't have enough patience" Sonic chuckled at the thought of him attempting to crochet.

"Hmm, It's not for everyone," he looked away. There was a short silence. Shadow would be content at leaving it there. However, Sonic seemed eager for more, and he… also didn't want it to end there. There was something about the slow, easy conversation that was almost comforting in a way he wouldn't have expected. He glanced up at Sonic. Hmm. He just kept surprising him.

He might as well relent, though he didn't know what possessed him to. Shadow took a deep breath. "How… about you?"

"Mm?" Sonic's ears perked up, thrown off a bit by Shadow's question. "How about what?"

Shadow's cheeks reddened slightly. He was dreadful at small talk. "Relax. How do you relax?" He cringed at his own wording. More words came out of his mouth, as if that would make anything less awkward. "Even you must… need a break from your ceaseless 'cool guy' persona… "

At this, Sonic smiled. He did it. Shadow was actually talking with him.

"Oh, uh, well maybe it's a little obvious, but I like to run," he leaned back, rubbing his neck in slight embarrassment at not having many hobbies to his name. "But other than that...I guess I also like reading a good book from time to time."

Shadow, cookie halfway to mouth, stopped, mouth agape. "You… read?"

"Well don't sound too surprised, now," Sonic laughed. "Yeah, it clashes a bit with that 'cool guy' persona, huh? But, I've always loved reading, to be honest. Running is great because I can feel the rush of wind through my quills, the blood pumping in my veins. It's, like, the physical essence of freedom." Shadow was stunned into silence. He had not expected Sonic to be this… eloquent.

"Books, I guess, are freeing in a different way. They let my mind explore different walks of life, see into new perspectives," Sonic thought wistfully, remembering his days as a kid, playing out the stories of his favorite heroes.

Mesmerized by this new side to Sonic, Shadow wanted to know how someone like him could seemingly be so vapid and yet weirdly insightful. "Do you…have a favorite book?"

"Ooh, that's a toughy. Can't really pick a favorite, per se, but I do tend to lean towards fantasy books. Ya'know, your Arabian nights and Arthurian type stuff? I love a story with a solid hero, too! Not just your run of the mill dashing and daring types. A hero that maybe starts out the underdog, misguided or weak, but grows, evolves over the course of the story. It's pretty rad, don'tcha think?"

Shadow could see it a little now. Maybe Sonic was far more mature that he let on. Or at the very least he could be. Perhaps he'd taken him too lightly before. He had something more underneath that constant grin he wore. Shadow finally looked up, really meeting Sonic's eyes. "I suppose I can understand what you mean."

A comfortable silence settled between them as Shadow scribbled down the rest of their assignment plan, finishing off the rest of his cookie, leaving only crumbs on the empty sleeve.

Sonic smirked at his correct guess.

His phone vibrated on the table—a message from the track team group chat that Big had created. People only ever used it to send desperate messages about homework or test answers. Big, it seemed, was the only one who ever used it for 'official track business' like encouraging updates about their progress, their season schedule, and, occasionally, videos of his newly-acquired pet frog.

Most of his messages, unsurprisingly, went largely ignored.

Sonic gave a casual glance at his phone screen, figuring it was just some other freshman asking for upperclassmen advice on a shitty professor. But he paused when he saw Big's name atop the message.

" _Hello everyone. Reminder that our mandatory team meeting about Saturday's prelims starts in 10 minutes. Meet at the track. We will have a short practice once we discuss everything. Hope everyone's having a good Friday! :)"_

Oh crap, he almost forgot. He looked back up to Shadow.

"So, not to cut this short, but I completely forgot there's this big team meeting I gotta be at for this meet we have tomorrow and it starts soon and I—"

Shadow waved a hand. "Go ahead," he said, stacking up their papers. "We've essentially finished anyway. I'll have the checklist filled out by next class and give it to you so you can do the write up—not much more we can do for now."

Sonic gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks! You're the best, Shadow." He drank down the last of his lemonade and stood from the table as Shadow packed his stuff away. He glanced out the window. At least it had stopped raining outside. He gave his partner a sly smile. "So, what are my chances of seeing you at the track meet tomorrow? Out team is pretty highly ranked, ya'know."

Shadow deadpanned. "It'd be in the negatives. I'm not one to frequent sporting events as it is." He wrapped his hands around his half-emptied coffee cup as they stepped outside. "I work all day tomorrow as it is, anyway."

Sonic pouted. "Laaaame. Guess I won't be seeing you till Monday, then." He gave a wave as he began walking backwards in the direction of GHU's sports complex. "Hope you have a great day anyway! Gotta run—pun definitely intended." And with a final wink and a two-finger salute, he was off.

Shadow glanced up at the sky as Sonic's form disappeared, feeling the sun soak into his tired bones. His eyes found the vague form of a rainbow spreading across the clouds.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture of it arching over a building. Maria would enjoy the sight.

* * *

Blaze's eyes followed Sonic and Shadow as they stepped outside the cafe's door. She had been subtly keeping watch on them ever since they came in, quietly suspicious as she watched Sonic draw more words out of Shadow than she thought was possible.

She wasn't an idiot; she'd seen the way the kid's eyes softened as he talked about what was supposed to be Silver's crush. And she couldn't help but notice the way the brooding hedgehog was less tense around Sonic than she had ever seen him.

As much as he tried not too, she could tell Silver saw it too. Normally, he would be wistfully staring in Shadow's direction the whole time he was here, only doing his job when Blaze gave a pointed poke to his blushing cheeks. But today, he was trying to do whatever he could to keep himself busy, to not look that direction.

He tried to pull Blaze away from her skeptical glances at the pair, getting her to help him with the small drink orders that were trickling in.

Blaze's resolve didn't waver. She still wanted her anxious friend to have a chance with his months long object of affection. And while Sonic didn't seem to have a conscious interest in Shadow, the two were still getting closer, while Silver still hadn't had a conversation with Shadow outside of coffee orders.

Silver's eyes found Shadow as he ran a hand through his dark quills and a soft smile curled onto his face. Blaze could almost feel the love-sickness coming off him in waves. She let out a breath. She just wanted Silver to be happy, and if he had chosen Shadow, she had to at least try to get them together. For him.

She watched through the window as Shadow's gaze lingered on Sonic as he left. She shook her head. They all saw what was happening. But those poor guys didn't have a clue.

She pulled out her phone and pecked out a message to Amy.

" _There may be a kink in our plan."_


	21. Chapter 21

**Sonic**

"Runners! On your mark."

Sonic pressed his fingers to the rubber below him, foot impatiently twitching against the starting block.

"Get set."

His body felt like a livewire, tensed and sparking with unreleased energy.

" _Go!"_ The starting pistol went off and Sonic was off like a rocket.

Arms pumping, his feet a blur below him, every muscle in his body was tense at once, pushing him further and further. As soon as he'd begun, the finish line was under his feet, and he released all his tension at once. Hands on his knees, chasing after his breath, he waited to hear his results.

"#23," a megaphone eventually sounded. Sonic snapped his head up—that was his number. "Time: 10.35 seconds."

Sonic gasped, both for air and from the news. Not only was his time the fastest in his heat, he had finally broken his personal best. And by .03 milliseconds no less. He threw his hands into the air.

 _Yes! Things are finally going my way!_

* * *

"Oh man! Congratulations Sonic," Tails, who had been watching from the stadium bleachers, ran up to his big brother. Sonic had decided to spend his lunch up here with his friends and family, rather than with his teammates.

Pulling Tails into a big ole brotherly hug, Sonic ruffled his hair in endearment. "Haha, thanks! It's all because I had my lucky buddy cheering me on!"

Pushing Sonic away with a laugh, Tails led him back to where he and Knuckles were sitting.

"Hey, where's Knux at? Don't tell me he missed my race," Sonic sat with a small pouty face.

Tails, still fixing his fur, gave a soft giggle. "No, he saw you. He just ran to go grab lunch for us."

"Man, I feel like the only time I ever see that guy now is over a plate of food," Sonic joked, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Well someone's gotta provide for this family," Knuckles, returning with a couple bags of convenience store snacks and sandwiches, sidled into his place by his comrades.

"True," Sonic conceded, grabbing one of the sandwich packs. "Thanks, papa Knux."

Tails snickered at that, but Knuckles just smiled. "Why of course my darling sons, whatever would you do without me?"

"For starters, we'd probably have more food to go around without you hoarding it," Sonic, now munching on his semi-decent turkey sandwich, looked down to the track. He had run in the relay and 400m races, so he was essentially done for the day. He caught a glimpse of Jet, who it seems was preparing for his next event, that self-centered smirk never leaving his beak.

"That's it, you're going to pay from now on," Knuckles pouted, a little hurt by this, but started in on his own ham sandwich nonetheless. "Last time I spend my hard-earned coin on you two." He shook a disapproving finger at each of them. "What did I do to deserve such ungrateful children?"

Tails giggled. "Don't worry, I'll get you a 'world's best dad' mug on Father's Day to make up for it," he assured with a grin.

Knuckles playfully shoved his shoulder. "I deserve a mug _and_ a tacky tie, _at least_."

Their laughter became background noise as Sonic found himself glancing around the small crowd in the bleachers, eyes watching for something. Or rather, someone.

He knew he said he had work today, but maybe if he got off early…

 _Dumbass. Why would he come here? For you? He doesn't even_ like _you._

Sonic frowned at the blunt reminder. _Yeah_ , he supposed. _Of course he wouldn't be here._

And he couldn't figure out why that stung so much.

The sound of the starting pistol shook him out of his thoughts. His eyes flicked down to the track as the next event started—hurdles.

Sonic watched as the runners sprang from their places, dashing towards the sets of hurdles down the track. It was an event that Sonic had wanted to do—the extra challenge of clearing obstacles without slowing his speed excited him—but events were decided by seniority, which meant assholes like Jet got to have their pick of the litter because they were upperclassmen.

His eyes followed the green-feathered know-it-all as he flew over one hurdle after the other, legs extended, toes pointed in perfect form as he glided over the plastic barriers as if he was running on bullet-time.

He was leagues ahead of the other runners, crossing the painted white stripe of the finish line before they had gotten even halfway through.

Jet waved to the cheering crowd as he slowed to a stop, stupidly-perfect douchey grin widening as he threw a wink and a kiss at the stands.

Sonic actively wanted to barf.

 _This absolute_ —

"What do you think Sonic," Tails tapped Sonic on the shoulder, bringing him back from his trance.

"Huh, oh sorry, spaced out there for a sec. What's up?" Sonic turned back to his buddies trying to remove any trace of Jet from his mind.

"I asked if you wanted to go to Eggman's, to celebrate," Tails pouted, clearly a little perturbed at Sonic's detachment from their conversation.

"Of course! Always down for games and grub," Sonic beamed, putting his arm around Tails. "We can even knock out a few rounds of mini golf if you want! That is, if you're in the mood to lose," he smirked, as overconfident in his putt-putt skills as he was with most all athletic endeavors.

"Oh yeah?" Knuckles challenged. "I think you're forgetting who absolutely _creamed_ both of you last time." He put a finger to his chin, eyes turned towards the clouds. "Hmm, let me think for a second. He was strong, ruggedly handsome, a wonderful provider of gas station sandwiches…"

Sonic huffed, clocking Knuckles on the shoulder. "Fine, you'll just have to prove your skills tonight, Mr. Bigshot."

Knuckles laughed. "Well, me pwning you nerds will have to wait until tomorrow. _I've_ got a date tonight."

"A date," Sonic questioned, with more disbelief in his voice than he intended.

" _Yes_ , a date." Knuckles slicked his quills back. "Did you miss the 'ruggedly handsome' part of my description earlier?"

Sonic giggled at his over-the-top display, already ready to fire back with stories of how far that had gotten him in high school.

Tails' frown from beside him made Sonic pause. "But we can definitely go tomorrow, yeah," his brother asked hopefully, disappointed at having their plan shot down so quickly.

Sonic gave him a reassuring grin. "Definitely, little buddy. We'll make a day out of it." He gave a stretch as Tails perked up a bit at the confirmation. "But for now, I'm looking forward to just laying back in our dorm and rewatching the extended cut of _Chao In Space_."

Tails smiled cheekily. "It's one of the only movies you like that's actually _good_ , so I'll accept that."

Sonic stuck out his tongue. "Alright, we can watch one of your pilot documentaries too," he compromised. "If I get to nerd out about Chaos flying their teeny little spaceships, you deserve to get excited about…" Sonic searched for some term, some buzzword he had maybe picked up from Tails' many bright-eyed monologues about flight technology. "...um, turbine rudders?"

Tails shook his head with a chuckle. "Good effort, but not even close."

He was working up another comeback—continuing their little ping-pong pattern of joking conversation they always had—but the sound of the loudspeaker cut through his words as it announced the end of the day's events.

"Oh!" Sonic remembered. "I have to meet back up with my team in the locker room—Big probably wants to talk about results and plan stuff for the season." He glanced back towards each of them. "Knuckles, good luck with the wooing. And Tails, meet me at the gate and we can walk back together?"

Tails nodded.

"Rad. We'll all get together tomorrow, then." He waved as he dashed off towards the locker rooms, sliding through the door as the rest of his team filed in.

Sonic slipped into the crowd as they all gathered around the print-outs of their results for the day, murmuring excitedly as they each scrambled to see their times.

Sonic grinned as he eyed his results. He had smashed some of his best times in his events, beating some of the other freshman on his team by a landslide.

Pride sparked in Sonic's chest in a way it hadn't in a while. He had missed the joy of competition, the high of winning. If he could just keep this streak going…

His eyes flicked over to their overall results, immediately jumping to the fastest times.

At the top of the list, with another record broken for the 100m dash, was Jet. Sonic's self-assured smile suddenly fell into an uncertain line.

"Wow, congratulations Jet," Big said, smiling encouragingly as he called attention to Jet's win. "Looks like you're the top dog—or, should I say, the top _bird_ —once again."

Sonic frowned as a smattering of applause for Jet sounded around him. The sophomore prodigy fluffed out his feathers, chin high as he soaked in the praise.

Big continued talking, working through their strategy for their upcoming season. But Sonic got lost in the white noise.

Anxiety latched onto the gap between his and Jet's times, gnawing at his successes today until they meant nothing.

He still couldn't beat Jet.

Jet still won.

Sonic had done as much as he could, beaten his personal best, and that smarmy asshole still passed him by a longshot.

Would he ever beat Jet?

 _Did he even deserve to beat Jet?_

 _Of course not_ , something said. _It's not like you did anything to earn it, you lazy fuck-up._

Sonic gritted his teeth.

Big clapped his hands. "Alright, everybody, great work today. Go home, rest up—we'll discuss the rest of our season at our next practice."

And with that, the crowd dispersed, the clang of lockers and rustle of clothing shoved into gym bags filling the small space.

A loud, pointed _ahem_ sounded from the middle of the room.

Sonic glanced back to see Jet standing there, watching, waiting to make sure all eyes were on him.

 _Oh god, what now?_

"Alright, assholes, listen up. To celebrate yet another record smashed by yours truly," Jet placed a hand to his chest, as if someone was questioning what other self-absorbed asshole he could possibly be referring to, "Party at my place, and it's gonna be fucking lit. Anybody who's anybody is invited, so be there, or regret it for the rest of your pathetic lives."

If Jet's eyes pointedly slid over to Sonic's form at the underhanded invitation, Sonic pretended not to notice.

The rest of the locker room broke out in excited cheers, looking forward to an evening of fun and debauchery.

Sonic scoffed aloud. _There was no way he was_ —

A hand slammed his locker shut.

Sonic ducked out of the way, barely fast enough to avoid his nose being closed in the metal. He glared at Jet's face leering far too close for comfort.

"And _surely_ GHU's rising track star, Sonic the Hedgehog, will make an appearance at my party," he taunted. "Why, it would just hurt my _widdle feelings_ if you didn't show."

"I'd honestly rather fall into a pit of spikes," Sonic spat.

"Wow, didn't realize you had a stick that far up your ass. Too good for a party with your teammates?" He gave an over-exaggerated pout. One of Jet's down feathers flew into Sonic's face as he pushed himself away from the row of lockers. Sonic swatted it away with an open sneer.

It must have irritated his nose in the process, as he sneezed pointedly in Jet's face. Sonic sniffled, "Ah, excuse me, I think I'm just allergic to assholes."

A few of his team members popped up from behind Jet, drowning out his winning comeback. "Aw, come on, Sonic. Don't be a drag. Come have fun with us."

"Yeah," Jet drawled. "Come have fun with us Sonic. It'll just be a blast." He wrapped an arm around the person closest to him, a squirrel who yelped at being pulled into the sudden embrace. "Aren't you going to regret not spending any time with your fellow track stars—like Vinny here."

"Um," the squirrel muttered. "It's Ray, actually."

Jet practically shoved him off of him. " _Anyway_. I wouldn't miss out on this if I were you," he said cooly, leaning back against the lockers. "Wouldn't want the rest of the team to resent you for not coming, now would we?"

Sonic tensed, feeling every eye in the room on him like a sniper rifle. Jet's cocky grin spread wider—he'd won and he knew it as he watched an angry blush spread across Sonic's cheeks.

He felt trapped. "Fine," Sonic muttered, shouldering his bag and striding from the room as fast as he could.

Jet only laughed behind him.

Tails sat on the patchy grass by the fence, glancing up from his phone as Sonic finally approached. He grinned. "There you are. Now it's pizza and Chao time!" He brushed the dirt off his knees, grin slowly falling as he noticed the guilty look coloring Sonic's face. "...Sonic?"

Sonic looked at the ground. "I _may_ have just gotten roped in to going to Jet's after-party."

Tails blinked, mouth actually falling open. "What?"

"I know; I'm sorry. But everyone cornered me and I couldn't say no without looking bad and I just wanted to get him off my back and—" He let out a breath, meeting Tails' disappointed gaze. "Listen, I really don't wanna go alone. I don't think I can handle going alone, really." He sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm terrible, but, can you come with me? We can go, and we'll be in and out, I promise. Home in plenty enough time to watch all your favorite pilot movies over mediocre take-out and—"

Tails held up a placating hand. "Sure, Sonic, don't worry about it."

Sonic paused, hesitant at Tails' acceptance. "Really? You sure?"

Tails gave an understanding smile, but there was something off about it...something tired. "Of course. As long as you promise you won't be there all night."

Sonic made an invisible X over his chest. "Cross my heart."

Tails let out a chuckle. "Alright, alright. Let's go."


	22. Chapter 22

**Shadow**

"Shads? …Shaaaaaaadow."

Shadow let out a vague groan, trying to still hang on to the last strands of his nap.

"Hello? Earth to my brooding, edgy brother."

His eyes opening slowly, then quickly closing again at the bright fluorescent lights, Shadow turned over in his makeshift bed comprised of two stiff armchairs, pulling his jacket over his head.

"Five more minutes… or years…" he mumbled.

"Sorry, but you told me to wake you at 9:30, and it is indeed 9:30," Maria leaned over her bed, beginning to poke the back of Shadow's head repeatedly. "Now, waaaaaaaake up. Go get that bread!"

"…Is that something the teens are saying these days?"

"Well at least people on the internet do," she shrugged.

"Mmmmh… can you go get it for me," Shadow whined, curling into a ball under his blanket of a jacket.

"Yes, because what this hospital needs is a terminally ill teenager sitting at their front desk. Very professional vibes." Maria stared at the ball that was once her brother, sighing playfully at his immaturity. "And you're supposed to be the grown up one here…"

"I need a break. You can be the grown up. I bequeath my title to you, my lady."

Maria chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Thank you, my liege, but I'm afraid I must rescind thine offer, for I am but a humble maiden who would not be up to the task." She gave an exaggerated half-bow. "Now get up, lazy bones." She kicked out a foot, knocking Shadow's chairs out of their careful alignment.

Shadow's arms flailed slightly as he almost fell onto the tile below. He sat up, pulling his jacket off his head, pouting. "How rude."

"You'd be more upset if I let you be late for your shift," she responded matter-of-factly.

Well, he couldn't deny that.

"Now go obtain that grain. Grab that gluten. Procure that pan. Retrieve that roll—"

"Okay, okay, please stop with the carbohydrate-based jokes. I'm up now." Shadow gave a long stretch of his stiff limbs, finally standing from his chair.

He checked the time on his phone. At least he had enough time to get some coffee.

He let out a breath. "After this morning, let's just hope nothing too dramatic happens tonight. I don't think I can take another code coming in."

Maria gave a kind smile. "You'll have a good night; you deserve it."

Shadow let out something of a laugh. "I'll believe it when I see it." He slung his bag back on his shoulder, lingering by the door. "Alright, I'm gonna go get some filthy bean water to wake me up. You behave. And don't stay up too late."

Maria hummed. "I'll think about it."

Shadow rolled his eyes before stepping back out into the hallway and, unfortunately, back into his next shift.

Making a quick stop by the coffee dispenser in the break room, and grabbing a package of donuts from the vending machine, Shadow situated himself at his desk once more, preparing for what was sure to be a long and boring night. Hopefully.

* * *

About halfway through his fifth solitaire game, Shadow sighed, looking towards the clock on the nearby wall.

 _Goddamnit, it's only 11:45._

He'd already finished all his self-appointed tasks for the day during his morning shift. Organizing the desktop on his computer, cleaning his desk, getting ahead on homework, cleaning his desk again. There was only so much desk-warming he could do.

Fixing his gaze to the television across from him. A movie had been playing for some time; a period piece from years ago— _Jane Hare_ , if he remembered correctly.

The titular bunny character stood silhouetted as her rich, handsome love-interest took her hand in his as he confessed his feelings in a monologue of old-English prose.

As much as he despised the genre, he did find himself gravitating towards these silly romance films more often than not. He would blame it on a young Maria's influence, but that would be something of a lie.

Watching these movies always left him with a vague sense of melancholy afterwards, a feeling he'd always shoved back before he had the time to examine it.

He shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the actors' passionate onscreen kiss.

 _No time to concern myself with superfluous thoughts like this._

He glanced down towards his phone beside him, an unopened text notification still sitting on the lockscreen.

 _ **The Miscreant**_

" _hey, hope works not too rough on ya, shads! i'm gonna go run real fast ;D"_

Shadow had considered replying some hours ago, out of some sense of courtesy, maybe, but quickly fought that urge back.

What would he even say?

' _Thanks'_?

' _Please stop texting me; we're not friends'_?

Or even worse, ' _good luck'_?

He sneered at the thought.

It wasn't class-related, so he didn't have to dignify it with a response.

Though… it was a nice gesture, he supposed. The fact that Sonic took the time to text Shadow something so trivial bewildered him.

But, given the track star's seemingly endless attempts to be friends with everyone, he figured he shouldn't be too surprised.

He flipped his phone over face-down. Out of sight, out of mind.

A voice that sounded too much like Rouge giggled in his head. _You're still trying really hard to not like this guy, aren't you? Even you can't keep this cold, distant, disaffected act up forever, you know._

Shadow crossed his arms, leaning back into the desk chair. He had learned to deal with some of Sonic's more...grating traits, sure, but he definitely wasn't trying to be chummy with the guy either.

It wasn't his fault that Sonic had no concept of boundaries. Everytime Shadow was around him, he'd always end up disheveled and uncomposed. He hated not having control, and Sonic was just too chaotic for him to handle.

 _No, I just need to be cordial. Then I can graduate, and I'll never have to see him ever again._

Resuming his game of solitaire, Shadow quickly finished organizing the cards into their proper spots, triggering the chiptune victory music and the 8-bit fireworks blooming across the screen.

The sound of the automatic doors sliding open startled Shadow.

"Help!" A voice shouted between rasping breaths, "My little brother. He's—"

Shadow snapped his head towards the sound, jumping up from his seat, meeting the wild eyes of a shaking Sonic, cradling a small vomit-stained fox boy in his arms.

"Please! I don't—" Tears lingered unshed at the corners of his eyes, as he struggled to string a sentence together in between hyperventilated breaths. Shadow's stomach dropped from the sheer look of terror painted on Sonic's face. "I don't know what to do."


	23. Chapter 23

**Sonic**

"Let's get shitfaced motherfuckeeeeers" Jet roared, chugging an oversized chalice of beer. Standing on a table, above a sea of college students, Jet looked like the king of all the fuckboys on Mobius.

How Jet had managed to get this many people crammed into his cramped, albeit spacious, townhouse on such short notice, Sonic would never know. It was filled with dozens of college students, or at least people in their early 20's, a nauseating array of lights, liquor, and Sonic hoped that was all.

He and Tails had taken the train into Station Square and walked a good few blocks to get here roughly around 10. Sonic had spent the better part of the evening agonizing over what kind of clothes he should wear. As much as he hated the thought of being at a party thrown by Jet, he still wanted to make a decent impression at his first official college party.

Tails, though, had been relatively silent for most of the evening. Just following along with Sonic, occasionally reaffirming that 'Yes, your quills look cool like that' or 'No, you don't look like a dork' in a less-than-enthused tone.

Now the two of them awkwardly stood against a wall in the living room, Sonic trying to find a group that maybe he could talk to, and Tails, keeping an eye on his watch, making sure they would make it back in time for the last train home at 11:45. The flashing, colorful lights, the pounding of the music and the sheer mass of people compacted into one place was beginning to give them both a headache.

"Sonic," Tails pulled on Sonic, who leaned down so he could hear his shorter brother a little better, "Can we go back already? My head hurts."

"I know, bud, me too," Sonic cupped his hands so he could concentrate his words into Tails' ears. "But I need to try talking to a few people before we leave. I promise, we are out the door by 11:00 at the latest!"

Sonic had begun to realize, the more he thought about the party tonight, that ever since he started college, he hadn't actually made any new friends. Like, any. He'd have thought he'd make friends with at least some of his track mates, but he was always too worked up by Jet to stick around long enough to talk to anyone.

Not to mention his whole ordeal with Shadow…

He glanced around at the sea of veritable strangers that were supposed to be his teammates. It seemed like it'd take him years to get any new friends. So, Sonic was determined, before he left, he'd try and make a few new friends, or acquaintances at the very least. He needed to.

 _Oh please, like anyone would want to be friends with someone as obnoxious as—_

"Hey, that's one of the guys on track! Alright Tails, stay here, I'll be right back, alright," Sonic backed off of the wall, giving Tails an 'OK' sign, which Tails reciprocated with a sigh.

Sonic maneuvered his way through the crowd, careful not to bump too many drinks on the way. He eventually made his way to the yellow squirrel guy from early. His name waaaaaaass…

"Rain! Hey there," Sonic slid up next to the rather skittish-looking freshman.

"Ray," he corrected, with an awkward laugh.

"Oh, right, ah, sorry," Sonic also awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed! There's a lot going on here, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, it's a lot," he squirmed a little. "I don't normally come to parties like this."

Despite the awkward excuse for small talk, Sonic felt at least a bit comforted that he wasn't the only one out of the party loop. "Same, honestly. But at least I get the chance to hang out with some of my teammates! I feel like we should all kick a little more, ya'know," Sonic chuckled, hoping he was sounding as cool and casual as he was trying to.

Ray, seemingly avoiding Sonic's eyes, took a sip from his disposable cup of, presumably, beer.

"Umm, everything alright," Sonic questioned, looking around to see if Ray was looking at something in particular.

"No—er, I mean yes! It's nothing, just," Ray stopped, seemingly unwilling to say anything else. "Well, some of us actually do get together sometimes, on weekends…"

Sonic's heart dropped, heat slowly beginning to creep onto his face. He hadn't heard anything about that, he was sure. No one ever mentioned hanging out in the group chat or at practices. And, now that he thought about it, no one ever really talked to him at all, not since the start of the season.

 _What'd I tell ya._

"Oh, uh, really," Sonic snapped back to their conversation, giving a smile that didn't entirely meet his eyes. "I didn't know that! I'd love to tag along sometime!" _Desperate much?_

"Well, we were gonna ask you to join at first, but you always seemed kind of…" Ray looked away, not wanting to finish this train of thought it seemed.

"Kind of what?" Sonic's smile had completely retreated, instead replaced with a mixture of confusion and worry.

"Well, you're always, kinda, to yourself? I guess? You just kinda come to practice and leave," Ray was looking at his drink, maybe only brave enough to say it thanks to the power of beer.

Sonic looked away bashfully, hand grabbing hold of his neck. Tight. Was he really that much of a loner? He always thought he was great at socializing, especially in high school. But Ray was right. During practice, during runs, he was always so focused on the track, or on his frustration with Jet. And the more he thought about it, he probably wouldn't even recognize let alone name half of his own teammates.

 _Looks like you're no one's golden boy anymore, fucko._

"Ah, um, I see…. "Sonic said, trying not to let himself be overcome with these thoughts, especially not now.

"But, I really did want to invite you," Ray, realizing he may have said too much, frantically trying to fix this broken conversation. "And a lot of the other freshman too, but Jet—"

"Well well, if it isn't my guest of honor himself!"

Sonic's stomach dropped at the sound of that familiar squawk in his ears. An arm came down around his shoulders, momentarily throwing Sonic off his balance.

"Oh, Jet! Uh, hey," Ray, sweating bullets, backed away. As if his life depended on it, he swiftly gulped down the rest of his beer. "Umm great party! I think I'm gonna go get a refill. Nice talking to you Sonic!"

Before Sonic could even begin to question that bit of weirdness, he was overcome by the stench of liquor coming from Jet, who was getting, once again, way too close for comfort.

"Hey there Mr. Super Sonic racer, let's hang out for a bit," Jet slurred, innuendo dripping from his slowed speech.

"Yeah, uh, thanks for the offer, but, uh, _I'm_ over there," Sonic pointed towards the wall. Jet, obviously liquored up enough to buy that, turned his gaze, allowing Sonic to remove himself from his arm.

"Hey, hey, hey, now wait just a second," Jet looked around again, quickly pulling Sonic back towards him by the arm, an unpleasant and unwanted jerk in more ways than one. He almost let out an audible groan, looking for some way to be anywhere but tucked under the too-warm arm of his worst teammate.

It was...uncomfortable at best. Jet had a grip on him, just tight enough to keep him from leaving. A memory popped into his mind—his own hand stopping an aggravated Shadow from escaping a similarly unwanted interaction with Sonic. _Shit, I hope this isn't how I make Shadow feel._

Jet's beer-laden breath hit him in the face before he could think further on it.

"Listen, listen, I get I'm a total asshole; It's kinda my brand," Jet smirked. "But, you showed some real moves out there today! Come on, let me get you a drink so we can celebrate!"

Sonic, quite surprised at Jet's change in attitude (well, slight change), looked back towards him. This guy, this complete jerk, must have some ulterior motive. There's no way he'd insist on Sonic coming and make a whole thing out of it if he didn't have some kind of plan to make him miserable in some way.

But… Jet was also his in. Everyone on the team, everyone at this party, must, in some way, respect him. Maybe, putting up with Jet for even a few minutes could help boost his standing. _Besides, you need all the help you can get._

"Heh, alright, fine," Sonic turned to Jet, cracking his cockiest grin. "Do your worst!"

"Alright now, I like the sound of that," Jet laughed, slapping Sonic on the back a few times, pushing him towards the kitchen. "Bring out the shots!"

* * *

"11:00," Tails mumbled, looking at his watch once more. He sighed to himself. Sonic had insisted on him coming, but he'd left Tails all alone for a while now. He could be at home working on his new bi-plane schematics. But instead, here he was, propping up a wall, head throbbing, and being bumped around by people almost twice his size.

He could just go home on his own. Sonic would find his way back. _No, Tails, Sonic said he needed you. He's always there for you, so you need to be there for him._

Was he? He seemed to have become more distant towards Tails recently. He was still the same old Sonic, just a bit more…not all there. Tails couldn't quantify it.

After being shoved for the umpteenth time, Tails decided he would just move somewhere quieter and less crowded until Sonic was finished with his schmoozing.

Pushing his way through the throng of inebriated and half-baked adults, Tails made his way upstairs, eventually finding a less occupied room with people playing some kind of game with cups on a ping pong table.

He situated himself on an unoccupied chair, fiddling with his watch to pass the time.

"Heya, shorty, don't you think this party's a bit too R-rated for you?"

Tails froze. That voice. _Oh no, why here of all places…_

"Um, hi Wave," Tails mumbled towards her feet.

"What was that? You know kiddo, you gotta speak up, it's hard to hear you all the way down there," she cackled, staring down at the ever-shrinking Tails.

He already had to deal with this everyday at school, must tonight also be as agonizing?

"Please stop."

"Huh, come again? I thought I told you—"

"Stop," Tails finally asserted, still not exactly looking up.

"Whoa there, kiddo, what bit you," Wave held her hands up, rolling her eyes, backing up a little from Tails.

"I… I just want to be alone please," Tails brought his legs up to his chest, trying to hold onto them as hard as he was his ebbing tears.

Wave, still looking down at the young fox, scoffed at his remark. "Well, you came to the wrong place for that! See, this is what I mean, you're not ready for the big leagues ki—"

"I'm NOT a kid," Tails snapped up, anger finally boiling past his embarrassment. "A-and I'm getting really tired of everyone treating me like one!"

Waves face dropped, clearly stunned to have finally pushed him this far. "Hey hey, easy now, tiger." She shrugged, quickly pulling her cool, disaffected look back together. "Listen kid, you're not as mature as you think you are. You don't just magically skip to adulthood just because you're in college. Save a party like this for when you're old enough to enjoy it."

"I am old enough," Tails stood up, puffing his chest out towards Wave. Tails had spent most of his life around friends that were older than him, following wherever they led. Now he needed to prove to everyone, most importantly to himself, that he could keep up with them, no matter where they went.

"Yeah, I'd beg to differ," she rolled her eyes at his blind machismo. "Look, this has been fun, but I've got a game to get back to, and you should hurry to bed before curfew."

"Fine. I'll go," Tails maintained eye contact with Wave as though he weren't having to stand on tiptoe to look up at her. "On one condition."

"Sure, kid, anything," she laughed, looking towards the others, by the table, equally amused by the young fox's over confident display.

"Play me," Tails said, as evenly as he could, trying to avoid any voice squeaks.

Wave couldn't contain her laughter, doubling over, along with half the room. Tails' face, ablaze from the embarrassment, stayed straight.

"Look kid, you can't play this game. It's for big kids," she mocked.

"Play me," he repeated. "You win, I go home. I win, you have to stop belittling me all the time, and treat me as an equal. Deal?" Tails held his hand out to the still cackling swallow.

"Yeah, no. Go home kiddo," she shooed him away using the back of her hand.

"Deal?" Tails was not going to move. Sonic never backed down from a challenge. He always stood his ground, and never gave into bullies. Now it was Tails' turn.

"Come on, Wave," one of the sloshed party goers, a grey albatross, whooped. "Play the kid! Play the kid! Play the kid!"

Now all the people in the room were chanting in unison. Tails, still holding his face as straight as he could, brows furrowing slightly, humiliation growing, kept his hand outstretched to Wave.

Despite Wave's more severe teasing, she really didn't care to embarrass him any further. The crowd had spoken, though, and it seemed he'd just have to learn his lesson the hard way. She grabbed his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Deal."

With that the crowd hollered, quickly setting up the table for the game. Six cups to each side, each filled nearly to the brim with beer. Tails wasn't unfamiliar with this game. Land your ball in your opponent's cups, until they've drunk them all. First to drink them all loses.

"You can have first throw, kid," Wave tossed a ping pong ball his way. Tails caught it, beginning to focus in on his goal. This was the easy part—he had a good idea of the proper angle, trajectory and amount of force he'd need to sink his ball.

He made his first shot, bouncing it off the table and landing it right in the first cup of the triangle. Everyone, shocked at his clean shot, shouted in celebration. Tails, trying not to give in too much to his childish giddiness, let a small smirk crack his lips, folding his arms towards Wave. Precision was always a strength of his.

"Hmph, good shot," Wave conceded, grabbing the ball from her plastic cup, and gulping down the contents swiftly. Tossing the cup behind her, she grabbed hold of the next ball. "Don't say I didn't warn ya."

In an instant, she too sank her first shot, right in the cup closest to Tails. Once again, rapturous applause from the growing audience. She obviously was no stranger to beer pong.

Tails stared down at his cup. The reality of what he'd have to do next sinking in.

The hesitation was palpable to everyone in the room. Most especially Wave. "It's not too late to back out." As much as she chided him for it, he was literally still just a kid.

Tails grabbed hold of the cup, pulling out the bobbing ping pong ball. He swirled the contents. _Sonic wouldn't back down._

Wave sighed, taking pity on the kid. "Look, let's just call it a—"

Before she could finish her statement, Tails knocked back the drink, eyes scrunched closed, forcing himself to ignore the disgustingly bitter taste and the slight burn building in his throat as he gulped as fast as he could to keep up with the tide of liquor. Finishing it off, he tried and failed to suppress a cough. Wiping his muzzle of any beer that had leaked out, Tails resumed his stalwart posture.

Cheers burst out, pouring in from the hallway where people strained their necks to get a view. "Ah yeah, you go Two Tails," two oddly-sized skunk guys hollered. They all began to chant "Two tails, two tails,"eventually just shortening it to "Tails, Tails, Tails."

Maybe it was the beer working into his system, or the adrenaline of having his name chanted in surround sound, but Tails felt on top of the world. Throwing his emptied cup to the side, cracking his cockiest grin, Tails grabbed a new ball. "Let's just call that the end of round one."

* * *

" _CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!"_

Sonic now stood in a drinking contest of who could find the bottom of their beer bottle the fastest. And, well, Sonic wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially when it questioned his speed. (And he was a glutton for people chanting his name.)

Despite how disgustingly bitter and unpleasant it tasted, Sonic powered through. As soon as his lips met empty air, he slammed his bottle onto the counter, the clear winner in his battle against some older weasel guy in a brown hat that Sonic had never met. "Wooo! Ha ha, how do you like that!"

Cheers erupted from the small crowd that had gathered around them. A few drunken hands clapped him on the shoulder. Sonic felt his pride boost with each congratulations.

Jet gave a slow clap from his perch on the counter, watching the games play out before him as he lazily sipped his drink.

Sonic looked up at him, sloppily dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping the excess from his muzzle. Jet followed the movement with drunken, half-lidded eyes. A small smile curled on his beak.

He slid off the counter in one smooth motion and sidled up next to Sonic with more grace than he had any right to in the state he was in. "Well, well, well," he drawled. "You're drinking me under the table here, kid. I'm almost impressed." He let out a chuckle, giddy with alcohol.

Sonic was buzzing, an artificial warmth from the alcohol spreading across his body, flushing his cheeks. He laughed along with Jet, a little too excited to have his approval—if only in this regard. "What can I say, I aim to please!" He was floating somewhere outside of himself, light and happy and airy.

"Hmm, I bet you do." A hand slid across the small of Sonic's back as Jet scooched ever-closer. Sonic's laugh choked off in his suddenly dry throat. He could almost feel Jet's beer-laden breath on his fur as he leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"I'd love to see what else that throat can guzzle down."

Sonic freezes as Jet's hand slides further down his back, past his tail and—

"H-hey," Sonic jumped, putting physical distance between himself and Jet. Jet only laughed, grabbing another beer as he threw a wink at Sonic.

"Your loss," he said, the slur in his voice butchering his attempt at sultriness. "Come find me later if you change your mind, rookie." He slammed the bottle top against the counter edge with his fist, opening it in one movement. He paused, rim of the bottle at his lips. "I do have connections, y'know. If you play your cards right, I have recruiters on speed dial."

Sonic tensed, suddenly too aware of his heartbeat hammering in his chest. His brain was slow to catch up with what Jet was implying. _He can't be serious._ "You're bluffing," he said, trying to keep his tone as even as he could.

"And you'll never know now, will you?" He eyed up Sonic's form, his gaze lingering. He clicked his tongue. "Pity," he murmured as blue eyes made it back to green. "Guess you don't have the dedication I thought you might." He turned on his heel, striding back toward the throng of people bathed in colored lights. "Ah well, there's always someone else willing to make the sacrifices for what they want."

"W-wha-wai—"Every word that stumbled over Sonic's inebriated tongue died at his lips. The pleasant floatiness was gone and now he just felt...untethered. His hand was still loosely gripping the amber-colored bottle, and he only became aware of the tension in his grasp when his knuckles started to ache.

The sounds of the party became dulled, muffled in his ears, bass pounding along with the ache forming at his temples.

 _Lazy._

 _Unmotivated._

 _No dedication._

 _Refusing a golden opportunity like this would be stupid._

 _Do you really think you could get there on your own?_

 _Fat chance, dipshit._

He wasn't sure how long it'd been, his floating attention span popping in and out. One second he's in the living room, maneuvering through people. Next, he see's Jet climbing the stairs. Then he's following. And following. And follo—

"Tails! Tails! Tails!"

 _Tails… oh shit._

"Tails," he half-shouted, half-slurred, snapping him partially out of his dazed stupor. A mountain of people were all focused in on one room, shouting the name of his little brother. Elbowing his way through, he eventually made it in. There, he found a wobbly looking Tails, picking up one of three plastic cups filled with—

"Miles Prower," Sonic shouted, fully this time. His consciousness came crashing back into him, hitting like a physical weight in his chest. He balked at the scene before him, not exactly sobering up, but most certainly livid enough to pull some sense to his mind. "What are you doing?!"

Tails took a moment to respond, not quite sure if he was imaging the voice. He looked around, eventually settling on the shifting image of his big brother. "Oh, hey Sonic," Tails slurred, words running together. "Guess 'swhat? Turnsout i'm reaaaally good at beer pong!"

Between him and his swallow opponent, he had three cups left, while she had only one. She crossed her arms, clearly not as affected by her drinks as Tails was, and called to Sonic, "You need to take this kid home. Don't think he can't handle much more." She frowned as she looked Tails' way. If Sonic had the brainpower to read expressions right now, he would say she almost looked...guilty.

Tails whipped back around, spilling a little of his drink in the process. "No! Not yet, I've got ya ooooooon the ropes, Wave! And then you'll have to finally stop makin my classes a living hell!"

Sonic, equal parts angry, terrified, and dazed, came up to Tails now, looking him in the eyes. (Well, as best as he could with the drinks still swirling in his brain.) "Put that drink down, Miles."

Tails, smirk morphing into a frown, brought the drink up to his lips.

"Miles Prower, don't you dare—"

Before Sonic could finish, Tails chugged at least half of his drink, the rest spilling down his muzzle, throwing his cup to the crowd. They all ate it up, amused at Tails disobedience, hooting and hollering at the show.

"We are going home right now, mister," Sonic, grabbing onto Tails' wrist began to pull him. Though it wasn't for long as Tails broke free from his grasp, stumbling towards the table to catch his balance.

"Oh, _now_ you wanna go home, huh!? Finished schmoozing? Finished being the cool guy?" Tails was shouting now, anger boiling out of him like Sonic had never seen before.

"Tails—"

"You dragged me here because you _needed_ me? When?! You just abandoned me so you could kiss up to a bunch of jerks who don't care about you! And It doesn't matter how long you fix your quils or agonize over what stupid outfit you wear, you're just a big dumb loser like me!" Everyone was watching, far too entertained to help a far too stunned to speak Sonic.

"And then there's this b-bitch—" Tails pointed a woozy finger at Wave, who seemed a bit thrown off by his more colorful word choice. "Everyday, it's always 'hey shorty, did you get lost on the way to daycare,' 'what's this garbage? Even a toddler like you should be able to defrag a hard drive' 'shorty, short stuff, kid this, kid that.' My name is Tails, lady!" Turning his gaze back to his brother, Tails started up again.

"And you know what, _fuck_ you Sonic!"

"Tails!" Sonic was dazed. He'd never heard his brother talk like this before.

"You drag me to bars and parties that I don'even wanna go to, leave me unattended, like, what did you expect would happen to me? You're a terrible brother!" Tails was now poking Sonic right in the stomach, stuttering a little over his words.

"You always makin' fun'a me likin' plane documentaries, an' stayin home!" His words were now starting to become unintelligible, finger losing pressure against Sonic's chest. "An' another thing, Topatomatamus 6 is absolute garbage, and, huuh—"

Tails, losing his balance, stumbled into Sonic, eyes fluttering. Sonic was quick to catch him immediately going full panic. "Tails? Tails, are you alright?" He tried to help Tails stand, to get a good look at him.

"Uhhg, my head's spinning," he mumbled, right before vomiting all over the ground, including Sonic's shoes. Everyone backed up, a combination of "Ah, sick" and laughter erupted.

"Yikes. Mcfuckin' yeouch," Jet cackled, having slipped into the room without Sonic noticing. "And I just polished the hardwood last week."

"Tails! Oh god," Sonic, panicking, began to notice his brother's eyes shutting.

"Sonic, I don't feel good," Tails mumbled right before throwing up once more, this time mostly on himself. Then he was falling, face making a beeline to the pool of vomit on the aforementioned polished hardwood, Sonic stumbling to catch him in his arms again.

"Tails?! Tails, wake up," he began to shake his smaller brother. No response.

Suddenly everyone was silent. The consequences hitting each of them like a dart filled with sobriety. Slowly, they all began to exit the room.

"Wait, wait! Somebody help! What do I do?" Sonic was now cradling an unconscious Tails in his arms, frantically looking around for someone to help him. He didn't drink much, and wasn't sure if this was just something he'd sleep off, or if his brother's life was in danger.

Wave, a mixture of guilt and concern on her face, came over, laying a careful hand on his shoulder. "Uh, I think you should take him to the hospital."

"Can someone get us to the hospital," Sonic desperately cried out. Everyone clearly didn't want to be a part of whatever potential trouble they could end up if any police were to be involved. Sonic felt rage growing from his terror. "What's wrong with you guys?! My brother needs help!"

"Hey now, he's just had more than he could handle," Jet condescended, coming up to Sonic, placing a hand on his shoulder other shoulder, opposite Wave. "Just let the tyke rest, and we can—"

"Don't touch me, you sick fuck," Sonic roughly pulled his shoulder away, turning to Wave. "Where is the nearest hospital?"

Scared some by Sonic's seething eyes, she quickly responded, "Eh, um, I think, uh, It's past the train station? Some few blocks east, I think?"

Tightening his grip on Tails, Sonic began his march out of the room, and down the stairs. Wave and Jet followed behind him, as he bolted out the front door. He looked around, turning back to Jet standing in the doorway with a gaggle of onlookers.

"Which way is east," he demanded.

"Th-that way. Wait, you aren't gonna walk are you? It's like 30 blocks away," Jet gawked at him.

"I'm not gonna walk. I'm running," He shouted, eyes wild, starting his mad dash down the dimly lit street.

Adrenaline and fear coursing through his veins, Sonic pumped his feet, holding on to his brother for dear life. His breath was sharp, short and burning his throat. His legs were numb. No matter how much his body screamed for him to stop, though, he didn't. He couldn't.

He's saved Tails' life once before. He could do it again.

He looked down at his little brother's face, bleary eyes closed, mouth slack, fur mussed and wet with liquour and sick. Two thoughts occupied his mind.

 _Faster. Faster. Faster._

 _He's dying._

 _He's dying._

 _He's dying_


End file.
